Feb. 13, 2023

Do It Afraid, God Will Equip You! Melinda Torrison's Story

Do It Afraid, God Will Equip You! Melinda Torrison's Story
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Her God Story with Jodie Chiricosta

What tests your faith? Melinda Torrison has learned to follow God’s leading, no matter what comes her way. She has learned to “do it afraid.” And she has seen God do amazing things. Melinda never desired to become a leader, but God had other plans. As President of Meador Staffing, Melinda has led thousands of employees through uncertain times. Listen as Melinda and host, Jodie Chiricosta, discuss how God equips us with what we need for our families, work and ministry, even before we know we need it! When you submit your plans and future to the Lord, you’ll be amazed where He takes you.

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Transcript

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Hey friends, welcome to the Her God Story podcast where you will always hear a good

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

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I'm your host Jodie Chiricosta, ministry leader at Somebody Cares America and international

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author and traveler on this journey of faith.

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I encourage you to take a moment to like or follow this podcast on your favorite streaming

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platform so you won't miss the stories of any of my amazing guests.

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Hebrews 13:21 is a blessing over God's people which says, may he, God, equip you with all

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you need for doing his will.

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May he produce in you through the power of Jesus Christ every good thing that's pleasing

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to him.

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All glory to him forever and ever.

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Amen.

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My guest, Melinda Torrison, has seen God do that for her over and over again.

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In fact, she had a little encounter even this week, which we'll talk about in a minute.

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And as president and COO of Meter Staffing, Melinda has faced many, many challenges as

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she has led her company through the last few years.

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But looking back, she sees how God equipped her and prepared her in advance for this season.

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She loves walking out her destiny and calling using the gifts God has given her to glorify

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his name.

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She also loves taking Jesus into the marketplace and every other area of her life.

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In addition to leading a thriving business in Houston, Texas, Melinda is a wife, a mother

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of two adult children, and she seeks to pour out her life for others so they can know Jesus

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too.

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Welcome, Melinda.

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Thank you, Jodie.

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I'm so excited to be here and just being able to have conversation and yeah, just looking

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forward to it.

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So thank you for the invitation.

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Well, before we jump into your life story, share what happened this week to Meador Staffing.

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Oh my goodness.

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You're in Texas, so.

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Of course.

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Yeah.

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We're in Texas, which you know, of course, you know, because of your, you know, just

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a role with somebody cares all of the hurricanes that we go through and being in business for

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54 years, we've had our share of hurricanes and disasters.

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But yeah, this week was different because we had tornadoes, which, you know, of course,

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tornadoes are pretty common, but not to the extreme of what we saw this week.

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So Tuesday afternoon, we knew that there were going to be storms coming through late morning

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to late afternoon, which is pretty common here.

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And lo and behold, gosh, around 2 20 to probably 3 p.m. there were just a number of tornadoes

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that touched down actually in the region, you know, the area of Houston where we have

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offices.

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So when my father had actually called me from College Station and said, Melinda, I'm watching

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the Weather Channel and Pasadena and Deer Park, Texas are on the news for the first

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time ever was called a tornado emergency.

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Yeah, I was here, of course, in our Pasadena office.

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Believe it or not, our power did not go out, but it was very dark.

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Our cell phones start going off.

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You know, tornadoes are in the area.

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And while that was happening, our dear part team was texting me and they actually received

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the brunt of the storm.

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They were in the kitchen on the floor huddled together, of course, praying and just telling

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each other.

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I can't imagine being with anybody else for such a time as this.

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But they endured a pretty significant I believe they called it like an E3, like 140, 100

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140 mile an hour winds, I think.

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So our community was pretty devastated in a short period of time.

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But even sitting here, you know, this afternoon, you know, you're tired, but you just see the

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goodness of God, his faithfulness and just what an amazing community we have opportunity

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to live in and work in here in Pasadena and Deer Park.

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And just, you know, the greater, really, it's greater Southeast Harris County is where we're

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at.

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So, yeah, the tornado went right down the street where your office is, but your office

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was spared.

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And amazingly, no one was injured in the tornado, even though a lot of property damage and homes

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were were damaged.

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So the tornado actually, what they had said was that no, believe it or not, just no, no

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major injuries, no deaths, which is just amazing.

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And it actually happened while school was letting out.

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So the school districts, fortunately, had made pretty quick decisions, had sheltered

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in place, kept the kids after school.

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But a lot of parents were literally in the parent pickup line as all of this was happening.

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So that's really what makes the story even more significant of just everybody being safe

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and no lives lost in the tornadoes here.

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So yeah, yeah.

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Mercy, mercy from the Lord.

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And Somebody Cares is actually on the ground responding to that tornado.

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So if any of you are listening, I would like to give towards Somebody Cares disaster relief.

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You can go to our website, somebody cares dot org.

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But leading a business through crisis is something that Melinda has a lot of experience at.

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And we're going to hear how God prepared her for that.

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So Melinda, you grew up in a Christian home and you really knew Jesus, knew of Jesus all

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your life.

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Can you remember when you actually made the personal decision to follow Him?

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Yeah, that's such a good question.

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You know, I always used to feel very intimidated when people would ask the question, hey, do

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you remember the date that you got saved and what was your experience?

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And you know, so many people have incredible encounters, you know, with the Lord and just,

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you know, their salvation and they remember the date, the time, the place.

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And so for me personally, that was always a question I would just ask the Lord, like,

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am I saved?

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Because I grew up in the church and I really don't remember, you know, this huge special

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encounter.

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And I really want to have it as part of my story.

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Just you know, the way that God speaks to me and just, you know, me being very curious

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and the way I ask questions, He knows my love language.

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And so it was just like, Lord, like, really, when was that moment?

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And so for me personally, it was, I was probably 13 years old at a, at that particular time,

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you know, our church had a choir.

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I was involved with the youth group and all of that fun stuff.

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And it was actually at a choir camp in East Texas.

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One night that God really showed me and revealed like, Melinda, that was the pivotal moment

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when you really made the decision.

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Yes, I acknowledge Jesus.

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I follow Him, His true surreal.

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And it just gave a visual picture for me.

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And so yeah, that's my story.

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So your, your teen year, I mean, you, you grew up, of course, knowing the Lord and made

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that decision, but your teen years were a little bit shaky because unfortunately your

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parents ended up going through a divorce when you were in high school.

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How did that affect you in your faith?

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Wow.

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It was a time that, you know, of course, when you're a teenager, you're, I'll just speak

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for myself, was focused on myself.

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You know, you're really not looking at, you know, what's going on around you as far as

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your family and your parents.

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And so for me personally, I think it was a shock to hear, you know, that my parents were

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actually going to separate and, you know, go their separate ways and actually divorce.

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So I think, you know, of course now looking back, I can see all the good things that have

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come from that, believe it or not.

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My parents remarried and had been married to their second person, you know, my stepmom

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and stepdad for like 40 years.

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And I just have a half sister and a half brother from that, from my stepdad or my stepmom and

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my dad.

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But, you know, looking back, I think that's what created in me and I probably had it even

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before then just an identity crisis of who am I, where am I going?

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What does this mean?

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And I think it set me on a, just a journey to really find who I was.

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Unfortunately, I, you know, I take full responsibility, just made crazy, you know, crazy decisions.

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But really when I look back, it was truly, I look now at the importance of just our identity

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in Christ and really knowing that we know who we are in spite of anything that might

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go on in our lives and around us that we cannot be shaken because we know that we know who

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we are at the end of the day.

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And you kind of had a second come to Jesus moment, really, didn't you?

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Yes.

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When, you know, you had made some decisions.

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I mean, many of us who are in our young, you know, teenage and young adult years make rash

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decisions and do foolish things, but God is so gracious and merciful.

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He knows our hearts really want to follow after him.

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And so he intervenes.

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And how did he do that for you?

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Oh my goodness.

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So, yeah, he did.

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And that's really what he does and did all throughout my life.

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But I remember, you know, at that particular point in time, I had gone off to college.

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I actually went to Stephen F. Austin University.

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I was there for a whole hot minute, like a semester, because I didn't do well.

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And of course, you know, my parents are like, you got to figure this thing out, Melinda,

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before we spend a lot of money on a college education.

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So I actually came back to Pasadena at that particular time.

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I started working for Metta Staffing and was going to, gosh, I was going to San Jacinto

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College at night.

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It was like yesterday.

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I can remember being in the driveway.

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I was still, of course, at my parents' house at that particular time.

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My dad was actually living in the house.

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My mom had moved out.

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And I was in the driveway and just had a moment of just this encounter, you know, that sometimes

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you hear from people just like you felt like God was in like the front seat with you, you

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know, he and Jesus and the Holy Spirit.

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And just talking to me saying, Melinda, which path are you going?

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There's two paths that you can take.

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One of them will lead to life.

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The other one will not be so great, which I knew that I knew like that path was either

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going to lead to death or to jail.

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Like it would be something really bad.

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And so that was an encounter that literally changed the direction and the path that I

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was going where, you know, my dad has always taught me, you know, your life is determined

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by the people that you surround yourself with, the voices that you listen to.

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So at that moment in time, I knew like, I probably need to change direction with, you

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know, the people that I'm hanging out with.

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So I literally just gave up everything that whole, you know, group of friends, just the

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lifestyle that I was leading completely changed.

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And then of course, set me on the course to eventually go to Southwest Texas State University,

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which is now of course, named Texas State University.

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So that completely changed the direction and the path that I was going to go down.

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Yeah.

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And our young adult years really are about finding out who God created us to be.

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And he started revealing that to you when you got to that college, you went away to

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college.

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Share about that a little bit.

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So I'm this new person, you know, Melinda Meadow, and Melinda Meadow was known for this

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in high school.

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So really one of the reasons why I chose the college that I went to was I have to go somewhere

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where nobody knows me because I didn't want a reputation to follow me.

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I wanted like a clean slate, new beginning.

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So that was a really big deal as well.

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So went to college, you know, I laughed now because my high school friends are like, you

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joined a sorority.

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That would be the last thing that I would have done.

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But really, I mean, I look at I think the hand of God was really on me saying, you need

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to join a sorority, and ultimately knowing that these were the people I was going to

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connect with and still good friends with, you know, until now.

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And so joined a sorority, you know, was a business major and truly just became immensely

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involved with not just the sorority that I was in, but also just within the Greek system.

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You know, in Southwest Texas University, I was able to participate in Rush, you know,

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which is a huge, huge event, you know, that goes on in the fall and the spring semesters.

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But I look back now and realize that's really when I was called into leadership.

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Just people come into me, hey, Melinda, we want you to be we think you should be president

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of the sorority, or we think you should, you know, oversee the Rush program this next year,

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and never had any inkling or any really longing or desire to be in leadership.

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I'm a really good follower.

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I'm super obedient and uber responsible, like just give me a task and I'm going to do it

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with excellence into the fullest and complete it.

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But you know, I look back and college was really the beginning of being called into

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leadership.

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It's really interesting that you say that because I look back on my college, I also

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joined a sorority, which was not really what people would have thought I would have done

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either.

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And I also ended up in leadership in that sorority.

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And I until you mentioned how that was kind of God's calling you into leadership, I realized

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that's kind of the path I was on too.

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I mean, I hadn't really thought about being a leader until that point either.

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Yeah.

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So God uses all sorts of things to help form the identity he has for us.

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Your leadership role was really the first step in preparing you for something bigger

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in more ways than one.

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And after college, you even became a sorority consultant, explain a little bit about that

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and what your role was and what you learned.

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Oh, gosh, that is that is a crazy job.

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But it was it was one of the best jobs that prepared me just for life in general.

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So yeah, for those of you who are in Greek life in the sorority world, and you are probably

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familiar with many of the sororities referred to him as either chapter consultants or leadership

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consultants.

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So for our sorority, they had selected five young women to travel.

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Basically you travel across the nation.

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So you're on your own for like weeks at a time living out of a suitcase.

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We fortunately were able to fly everywhere and you have to get yourself from place to

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place.

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So I was so blessed.

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I was able to travel a lot in the Midwest, the Northeast.

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To some amazing universities.

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But you're really you're meeting with alumni.

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You're meeting with leaders at the university.

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You're meeting with those who oversee Greek life on the campus, as well as, of course,

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most of the time you were living with the sorority.

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So you're in the sorority house.

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You're wherever they put you is where you have to go.

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So that's where I learned a lot about adaptability and just being able to present and speak like

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kind of, you know, on the fly and just able to really have conversations with all different

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types of people.

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So that was that was a fun job, a hard job, and you really don't make a lot of money doing

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that.

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So it's such good training for for the future.

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So after your year as a consultant, what did you do?

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I came actually came back to Texas and never had any intention of really wanting to come

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back to Texas, never wanted to come back to Pasadena, Texas, never really wanted to go

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to work for Metter Staffing.

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It was always I'm going to go out and do something really amazing and and live somewhere really

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cool.

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So but we were in a recession, a really bad recession at that point in time.

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And so I came back to Pasadena.

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I actually my roommate was one of the girls that I had traveled with with the sorority.

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So we got an apartment.

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I actually came back to work for Metter Staffing.

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You know, my dad approached me and said, hey, I think you'd be really good at this job and

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you don't have to do it forever.

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But why don't you come on board and maybe see if this is something for you.

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And so the job was actually one that entailed traveling and it's the the company that was

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part of Metter Staffing Services where we would actually help other permanent placement agencies

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or staffing companies get into the temporary health business.

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So that's that's how I started my 35 years now career here at Metter Staffing.

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Just I'll go try it out and see if this is fun.

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Aren't we glad that we don't know all the future, particularly when we're young, right?

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Because we think we know what we want to do when we think, OK, I'll that's how I moved

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to Virginia.

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I was like, I'm just going to Virginia for a little bit of time, just for a year or two.

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And then I'm, you know, and then I've been here over 30 years.

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But it was perfect.

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It's exactly where I needed to be.

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And I'm I've flourished where God has planted me as as God has planted you there.

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He's you've really flourished.

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So you're working for your family business, but you had kept in touch with a lot of your

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friends from the sorority.

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And one of them introduced you to a handsome young man named Rick.

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So what happened and where did that lead?

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Before I met Rick, I had actually in college had a five year relationship with a guy that

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I ended up becoming engaged to.

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And, you know, that's a whole other story, but had broken that engagement.

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When Betsy had introduced me to Rick, they were living in Indianapolis at the time.

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Rick had actually traveled for his fraternity.

283
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Same job, you know, that I had.

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Then he had gone to work permanently with the fraternity and they were located in Indianapolis.

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So when Betsy had introduced me to Rick, it was like, OK, I'm not looking for any relationship.

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I don't even know if I'll ever be married.

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You know, like you're saying, Jodi, you just those things that you kind of you think is

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going to happen in your life, but it, you know, thank God, God comes in and has a different

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story for us.

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You know, of course, I was traveling all over the country, had gone to visit Betsy and she

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said, hey, I got this guy, you know, just he travels for Lambdekai.

292
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He's going to go out with us tonight.

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And so Rick and I just, interestingly enough, really became friends just via long distance.

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He had a girlfriend from college, you know, at the time.

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And so long story short, we just became really good friends, having really deep conversations,

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you know, which, of course, you know, one of our conversations was always centered around

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faith because he wasn't raised in the church, really had never gone to a church, which I

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was like, OK, who does that?

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Like, how does that happen?

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And so it just really led to being really vulnerable and transparent and me even questioning

301
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my faith when he would ask, why do you believe what you believe?

302
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Like, is that because of your parents or, you know, so it was just a just a really sweet

303
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time, just a long distance relationship.

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And then, of course, you know, he'd come to visit me here in Texas.

305
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I'd go visit him.

306
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And just he ended up moving here literally during a hurricane.

307
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He was driving him to Texas.

308
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I know, like Transformers, you know, going down.

309
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He's like, I don't know if this is a place for me.

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Eventually, you know, we got engaged and then five months later got married.

311
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So we've been married now like 32 years.

312
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So along the way, as you're questioning your faith, it really caused you to get your roots

313
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deeper in the Lord and Rick also came to faith.

314
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Yeah, he is.

315
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He is one of those.

316
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It's like, oh, my gosh, you know, just a really neat story.

317
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And so, yeah, me questioning, OK, why?

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Why do I believe what I believe?

319
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You know, is it because my parents believe this?

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My grandparents?

321
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You know, my uncle was a pastor and district superintendent at that point in time and just

322
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all kinds of questions and, you know, things that we would talk about.

323
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And of course, when he moved here to Texas is when everything changed for Rick.

324
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And so, of course, you know, he went to the church that I grew up in because it's like,

325
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OK, well, this is where we go and became really good friends with our associate pastor who

326
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was young and just an amazing, amazing guy and really gave Rick the opportunity to ask

327
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the crazy questions.

328
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He said, Ask me any question that you want.

329
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Rick's first question was, how does a guy live inside the belly of a whale?

330
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How does that work?

331
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And so that first.

332
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Yeah.

333
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And, you know, but was just really I learned a lot from Bud Miller as well about how to

334
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engage people who don't know Jesus.

335
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And I really attribute.

336
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I mean, Bud Miller was a huge person that led Rick to the Lord.

337
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And then, of course, my dad having conversation, you know, if you have any intention of marrying

338
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my daughter, you need to get right.

339
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You need to know who Jesus is.

340
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So Rick got, you know, got saved, got baptized in my dad's swimming pool.

341
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And then his faith journey just went to a whole new level.

342
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Like, yeah, which is a big part of our story, too.

343
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So yeah.

344
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So you got married.

345
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You wanted to start a family and God, who really knows us intimately better than he

346
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knows ourselves.

347
00:22:27,520 --> 00:22:28,520
That's what I like to say.

348
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God knows me better than I know myself, because I think I want to do one thing.

349
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But God knows what creates joy in me because he put it in me.

350
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So in the family process, trying to trying to start a family, God had something really

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unique in store for you.

352
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Share about that.

353
00:22:43,920 --> 00:22:45,280
Well, I am definitely a control freak.

354
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And I think I know everything, you know, and how it needs to be planned out.

355
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And so, of course, we got married and it was like, OK, I think I probably want to have

356
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a baby in the summer, you know, be pregnant in the winter.

357
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So it's like my whole timing was like all planned out.

358
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And of course, it didn't work out that way.

359
00:23:04,120 --> 00:23:10,440
You know, started going to, you know, various doctors and, you know, trying to figure out,

360
00:23:10,440 --> 00:23:12,320
OK, what's what's going on here?

361
00:23:12,320 --> 00:23:17,120
I always tell everybody, Jodi, everybody has their own unique and individual story and

362
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their path to parenthood.

363
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And so for Rick and I, it was just really unique.

364
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We were in I remember being in the lobby of a doctor's office and we had gotten another

365
00:23:31,760 --> 00:23:33,240
test back.

366
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And I think we knew at that point in time, OK, we've got to make a decision.

367
00:23:37,560 --> 00:23:45,520
Like, do you start really going down the path of trying to conceive a child or adoption?

368
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And it was just it was just really weird.

369
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I remember we looked at each other and it really wasn't even this long, in-depth emotional

370
00:23:54,720 --> 00:23:56,120
conversation.

371
00:23:56,120 --> 00:23:57,920
It was very matter of fact.

372
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We looked at each other and both of us said, we're supposed to start the pathway to adoption.

373
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And just like I said, it was just I look back down, I'm like, thank you, God.

374
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You know, just how he know it was.

375
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And both of us just knew that we knew we wanted to be parents.

376
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And for me personally, like I said, everybody has their own unique story and how God has

377
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uniquely designed them and crafted them.

378
00:24:26,480 --> 00:24:30,120
For me, I just wanted to be a mom.

379
00:24:30,120 --> 00:24:35,680
And for me personally, it wasn't about being pregnant or conceiving a child.

380
00:24:35,680 --> 00:24:38,580
And so and he I don't know when he did it, but he did.

381
00:24:38,580 --> 00:24:46,800
He just healed me emotionally, so I never went through just agonizing emotions or trauma.

382
00:24:46,800 --> 00:24:53,920
He just started the path towards adoption, which was emotional and an interesting journey

383
00:24:53,920 --> 00:24:57,920
that we probably didn't know as much as we probably should have.

384
00:24:57,920 --> 00:24:59,920
But again, there's a reason for that.

385
00:24:59,920 --> 00:25:04,160
But just that just led us down the pathway to adoption.

386
00:25:04,160 --> 00:25:07,160
And you ended up eventually with two children.

387
00:25:07,160 --> 00:25:08,160
Yeah.

388
00:25:08,160 --> 00:25:11,840
And you were able to be in the delivery room with both of them.

389
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So God really had those precious moments available to you know, for you to share with your children,

390
00:25:18,320 --> 00:25:20,280
even though you didn't carry them.

391
00:25:20,280 --> 00:25:24,760
And even a relationship with the young women who gave birth.

392
00:25:24,760 --> 00:25:25,760
Yes.

393
00:25:25,760 --> 00:25:31,440
Our two kids, we have a son and a daughter, and both were a little different.

394
00:25:31,440 --> 00:25:37,520
Our son was through an adoption agency and our daughter was actually a private adoption

395
00:25:37,520 --> 00:25:40,680
through one of my sorority sisters.

396
00:25:40,680 --> 00:25:46,680
Her parents were fostering what eventually would be our daughter's birth mother.

397
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And so that's how we connected with our daughter's birth mother.

398
00:25:49,800 --> 00:25:56,040
But yeah, and it's interesting enough to Jodi, like our kids, as they were growing up, all

399
00:25:56,040 --> 00:25:59,960
they wanted to know was, what was it like the day that I was born?

400
00:25:59,960 --> 00:26:07,760
And so God knowing like, to put us there in that moment to be able to tell the story of

401
00:26:07,760 --> 00:26:15,160
you know, the very moment and the whole experience around them coming in into the world is that

402
00:26:15,160 --> 00:26:16,720
is really special.

403
00:26:16,720 --> 00:26:23,760
Just another way God equipped you as parents to be able to minister to your children with

404
00:26:23,760 --> 00:26:24,760
their questions.

405
00:26:24,760 --> 00:26:29,600
You know, friends, there are so many orphans as well as widows all over the world who need

406
00:26:29,600 --> 00:26:34,200
to know that God knows them and cares for them too.

407
00:26:34,200 --> 00:26:38,080
Many have special needs that we as a company of women can meet together.

408
00:26:38,080 --> 00:26:41,320
Would you consider joining us with a special gift to help?

409
00:26:41,320 --> 00:26:46,280
Go to the hergodstory.org website and click on widow and orphan tab at the top of the

410
00:26:46,280 --> 00:26:47,280
page.

411
00:26:47,280 --> 00:26:53,240
Melinda, so you're now a mom, and you're continuing to work at meter staffing where

412
00:26:53,240 --> 00:26:56,420
you were gradually earning more and more responsibility.

413
00:26:56,420 --> 00:27:00,960
And Rick felt called to seminary so he could go into ministry and that required an out

414
00:27:00,960 --> 00:27:06,760
of state move, which at the time you were in a job that you couldn't, you know, that

415
00:27:06,760 --> 00:27:08,760
was in the office.

416
00:27:08,760 --> 00:27:12,760
So it probably meant having to resign from your job at a time when you were going to

417
00:27:12,760 --> 00:27:14,040
be the sole breadwinner.

418
00:27:14,040 --> 00:27:15,400
So what did you do?

419
00:27:15,400 --> 00:27:16,400
Yeah.

420
00:27:16,400 --> 00:27:17,400
Oh my goodness.

421
00:27:17,400 --> 00:27:18,400
Yeah.

422
00:27:18,400 --> 00:27:19,400
So that was like forever ago.

423
00:27:19,400 --> 00:27:26,400
It seems like but in 1998 is when my husband really felt called to ministry.

424
00:27:26,400 --> 00:27:32,000
He was called into full time ministry was like, I've got to get a master's.

425
00:27:32,000 --> 00:27:35,080
And so it was like, okay, well, where are we going?

426
00:27:35,080 --> 00:27:43,080
And we, you know, had picked a seminary actually in Wilmore, Kentucky.

427
00:27:43,080 --> 00:27:47,640
So that led to a conversation with my dad.

428
00:27:47,640 --> 00:27:52,440
You know, we're moving to Wilmore, Kentucky.

429
00:27:52,440 --> 00:27:55,200
At that point in time, our son was two years old.

430
00:27:55,200 --> 00:27:57,840
We had yet to adopt our daughter.

431
00:27:57,840 --> 00:28:01,880
And you know, the first thing my dad said was, well, what kind of job are you going

432
00:28:01,880 --> 00:28:02,880
to get when you go there?

433
00:28:02,880 --> 00:28:04,880
And I was like, new job.

434
00:28:04,880 --> 00:28:05,880
Like, what?

435
00:28:05,880 --> 00:28:08,760
I can't stay working and doing my job here.

436
00:28:08,760 --> 00:28:11,920
And he said, I don't know how that's going to work, Melinda, because you manage a lot

437
00:28:11,920 --> 00:28:12,920
of people.

438
00:28:12,920 --> 00:28:15,420
You're responsible for so much.

439
00:28:15,420 --> 00:28:18,440
And so I went back to the table.

440
00:28:18,440 --> 00:28:23,560
I prepared a proposal and I said, okay, I said, here's my proposal of how I can make

441
00:28:23,560 --> 00:28:25,000
this work.

442
00:28:25,000 --> 00:28:26,000
Just give it 90 days.

443
00:28:26,000 --> 00:28:29,960
If it doesn't work out, then you can let me go.

444
00:28:29,960 --> 00:28:34,160
I'll resign and I'll go find another job in Lexington, Kentucky.

445
00:28:34,160 --> 00:28:40,240
So I was very determined and very strong willed to figure out how to do this.

446
00:28:40,240 --> 00:28:47,760
And my claim to fame here at the company is I was the first remote commute, you know,

447
00:28:47,760 --> 00:28:50,560
type of virtual employee.

448
00:28:50,560 --> 00:28:54,280
So we moved to Kentucky and I was on dial-up internet.

449
00:28:54,280 --> 00:28:55,920
I mean, oh my gosh.

450
00:28:55,920 --> 00:29:00,960
I look back and I'm like, I thought that was the best technology ever, you know, but, you

451
00:29:00,960 --> 00:29:04,360
know, looking back now, it's like, wow, that was so ancient.

452
00:29:04,360 --> 00:29:08,720
But that's when the dial-up internet had just, you know, come into play.

453
00:29:08,720 --> 00:29:12,560
So it did allow you to work, you know, virtually or remotely.

454
00:29:12,560 --> 00:29:19,200
And I did commit to for two and a half years, I came back to, you know, Houston every month

455
00:29:19,200 --> 00:29:22,680
and would spend a full week in the office.

456
00:29:22,680 --> 00:29:28,400
So and then after two and a half years, Rick graduated from seminary and we ended up coming

457
00:29:28,400 --> 00:29:29,400
back here.

458
00:29:29,400 --> 00:29:37,520
So that two and a half years, that season really prepared you personally and your company

459
00:29:37,520 --> 00:29:41,680
for the days ahead and boy, a whole bunch of different ways.

460
00:29:41,680 --> 00:29:46,320
Share a few of them from your personal side as well as from the business side.

461
00:29:46,320 --> 00:29:48,440
Oh my goodness.

462
00:29:48,440 --> 00:29:50,680
I think, you know, it's so interesting.

463
00:29:50,680 --> 00:29:51,680
I look back.

464
00:29:51,680 --> 00:29:55,040
Okay, that was like 98 to 2000.

465
00:29:55,040 --> 00:30:01,360
And I think how it prepared our company, I think it really set the path for opportunities

466
00:30:01,360 --> 00:30:06,680
for other employees that might have the same type of experience.

467
00:30:06,680 --> 00:30:14,560
You know, after I went to Kentucky and came back to Texas, there were multiple people

468
00:30:14,560 --> 00:30:22,840
who for some reason, be it their spouse was relocated, had to move to different areas

469
00:30:22,840 --> 00:30:30,880
of the country and their roles that they had here at the time allowed them to work virtually.

470
00:30:30,880 --> 00:30:35,320
So it really did open the door for others to do what I did.

471
00:30:35,320 --> 00:30:42,720
It definitely prepared us for COVID way in advance where, you know, you can have people

472
00:30:42,720 --> 00:30:48,960
go remote, work virtual and still be able to get the work done that needs to be done.

473
00:30:48,960 --> 00:30:53,640
I think it opened the door for our company to be, and I would definitely say this, I

474
00:30:53,640 --> 00:30:56,620
think my dad is definitely a visionary.

475
00:30:56,620 --> 00:31:03,680
He got us equipped him to build things, to create things and to become really supernaturally

476
00:31:03,680 --> 00:31:07,340
just innovative with how to do things.

477
00:31:07,340 --> 00:31:11,840
And so I think that's what our company has become known for is just innovation and to

478
00:31:11,840 --> 00:31:14,800
be pioneers and forward thinkers.

479
00:31:14,800 --> 00:31:22,880
It's just one of those markers of how we could continue to be just next level and pioneers

480
00:31:22,880 --> 00:31:26,920
at what we do and doing things before anybody else does them.

481
00:31:26,920 --> 00:31:30,520
And you also really grew in the Lord during that time.

482
00:31:30,520 --> 00:31:35,040
I mean, of course, Rick is in seminary, so you know, you kind of expect that his faith

483
00:31:35,040 --> 00:31:37,120
is going to grow.

484
00:31:37,120 --> 00:31:38,800
But God was also working in you.

485
00:31:38,800 --> 00:31:40,520
How was he working in you during that time?

486
00:31:40,520 --> 00:31:41,520
In a major way.

487
00:31:41,520 --> 00:31:44,040
Yeah, he knew he had to do a major work in me.

488
00:31:44,040 --> 00:31:47,080
Like he was like, oh, Melinda, we still got to work on Melinda.

489
00:31:47,080 --> 00:31:55,920
And so he just really partnered me with an amazing group of women who were also in Wilmer,

490
00:31:55,920 --> 00:32:02,040
Kentucky, because of their spouses who, believe it or not, they were all in the marketplace.

491
00:32:02,040 --> 00:32:07,800
So they were all working for these Fortune 500 companies, felt called into ministry.

492
00:32:07,800 --> 00:32:13,560
And at that point in time, marketplace ministry wasn't a thing.

493
00:32:13,560 --> 00:32:18,160
And it was well, if you're going to be in ministry, you have to be a pastor and be behind

494
00:32:18,160 --> 00:32:19,160
a pulpit.

495
00:32:19,160 --> 00:32:25,560
And so they literally uprooted their families in a major way and came to seminary.

496
00:32:25,560 --> 00:32:27,880
And Rick and I hosted a small group.

497
00:32:27,880 --> 00:32:33,600
And so I was just able to connect with so many amazing women and a couple of women in

498
00:32:33,600 --> 00:32:41,200
particular that really took me under their wing and taught me things that I'd never heard

499
00:32:41,200 --> 00:32:42,200
about.

500
00:32:42,200 --> 00:32:50,360
And sadly enough in the church about who the Holy Spirit really is, prophetic ministry,

501
00:32:50,360 --> 00:32:53,440
healing ministry, you know, miracles.

502
00:32:53,440 --> 00:33:03,080
It was a really sweet time for me personally that, and I look back, Jody, at those years,

503
00:33:03,080 --> 00:33:07,040
while I thought my husband was going to seminary, it was just about him.

504
00:33:07,040 --> 00:33:12,880
I really look back now and it was about me too, to equip me for the things that I had

505
00:33:12,880 --> 00:33:21,300
to go through in the last, I mean, 20, 25 years, that if I would have not been at seminary

506
00:33:21,300 --> 00:33:26,720
and been connected with the people I was connected with, my story would be completely different.

507
00:33:26,720 --> 00:33:27,720
Yeah.

508
00:33:27,720 --> 00:33:30,500
So you really learned so much there.

509
00:33:30,500 --> 00:33:36,680
You had always had conversations with the Lord, but now it was really a whole lot deeper

510
00:33:36,680 --> 00:33:44,760
and you saw God moving in new ways and knew the power of God in a much more experiential

511
00:33:44,760 --> 00:33:45,760
way.

512
00:33:45,760 --> 00:33:53,120
Not just what you hear or read, but you had experienced some of that, which is transformative.

513
00:33:53,120 --> 00:34:00,880
So finally, Rick graduates from seminary and it was getting ordained and what happened?

514
00:34:00,880 --> 00:34:06,840
Yeah, a lot happened those last few months while we were in seminary and at the end of

515
00:34:06,840 --> 00:34:10,840
our journey in seminary, the Lord was like, Rick, I think you're supposed to start a

516
00:34:10,840 --> 00:34:11,840
church.

517
00:34:11,840 --> 00:34:14,440
I was like, okay, here we go.

518
00:34:14,440 --> 00:34:16,000
Something else very unique and different.

519
00:34:16,000 --> 00:34:17,080
What does that look like?

520
00:34:17,080 --> 00:34:23,720
And so we did feel called to come back to Texas and when we moved back here, we ended

521
00:34:23,720 --> 00:34:27,840
up putting our roots down in Pearland.

522
00:34:27,840 --> 00:34:37,400
Of course, I came back into the office, working full time still with matter staffing and Rick

523
00:34:37,400 --> 00:34:44,600
started preparing his roadmap for starting the church, which was called the river.

524
00:34:44,600 --> 00:34:46,800
It was basically a house church.

525
00:34:46,800 --> 00:34:53,520
One of the ladies that I had met at seminary when I had first come back to Texas had called

526
00:34:53,520 --> 00:34:59,440
me up and said, Hey, Melinda, why don't you come to Kansas City and we can get together,

527
00:34:59,440 --> 00:35:04,040
but I want you to go to this conference with this group called IHOP.

528
00:35:04,040 --> 00:35:08,000
I'm like, IHOP, like you think the pancake place.

529
00:35:08,000 --> 00:35:12,960
She said, no, it's like this man by the name of Mike Bickle who started this international

530
00:35:12,960 --> 00:35:13,960
house of prayer.

531
00:35:13,960 --> 00:35:18,560
It's like this 24 seven, you know, intercessory worship stuff.

532
00:35:18,560 --> 00:35:26,320
So I went and met her in Kansas City, first conference, you know, that we attended.

533
00:35:26,320 --> 00:35:30,320
IHOP I think had just been in existence for like a year.

534
00:35:30,320 --> 00:35:35,920
So that's how I connected Rick with the house of prayer, which of course, eventually he

535
00:35:35,920 --> 00:35:42,280
connected with, you know, people here in the Houston area and really across the globe.

536
00:35:42,280 --> 00:35:44,640
That was part of this huge prayer movement.

537
00:35:44,640 --> 00:35:51,080
So it was like we came back to Texas, started a church, you know, eventually we're part

538
00:35:51,080 --> 00:35:55,760
of this huge prayer movement, open to prayer room and prayer land.

539
00:35:55,760 --> 00:36:03,000
And then our life just continued on just after that, just amazing connections with people

540
00:36:03,000 --> 00:36:08,680
in ministry, just doing things that we've never, never seen before.

541
00:36:08,680 --> 00:36:11,400
That was just so, just so amazing.

542
00:36:11,400 --> 00:36:21,160
So God had Rick really full time in occasional ministry while he had you in marketplace ministry,

543
00:36:21,160 --> 00:36:24,080
which was a new concept really even.

544
00:36:24,080 --> 00:36:30,560
I mean, it's, it's understood much better now that we are all ministers of the gospel.

545
00:36:30,560 --> 00:36:34,420
No matter where we are, you don't have to be in a pulpit or be employed by a church

546
00:36:34,420 --> 00:36:35,680
to be in full time ministry.

547
00:36:35,680 --> 00:36:39,200
You know, if you're a believer, you are in ministry.

548
00:36:39,200 --> 00:36:43,920
Your career really started taking off at this point while the prayer room and everything

549
00:36:43,920 --> 00:36:45,360
else was going on.

550
00:36:45,360 --> 00:36:49,360
But when your children were in their teenage years, they both hit some rough patches.

551
00:36:49,360 --> 00:36:56,920
So how did you handle the pressures of work, your growing responsibility there, your, your

552
00:36:56,920 --> 00:37:03,320
family responsibilities and your church responsibilities on the ministry side, because you know, you're

553
00:37:03,320 --> 00:37:07,080
married, so you're both involved in each other's lives too.

554
00:37:07,080 --> 00:37:08,820
That's a lot to handle.

555
00:37:08,820 --> 00:37:11,460
What was the Lord doing and teaching you through that?

556
00:37:11,460 --> 00:37:17,300
That's where I learned that, you know, God can give you great capacity for the seasons

557
00:37:17,300 --> 00:37:19,900
of life when you really need it.

558
00:37:19,900 --> 00:37:26,460
But then I also learned there are seasons where you do need rest because those seasons

559
00:37:26,460 --> 00:37:33,360
of great capacity and outpouring and giving, and it does take a toll and requires a lot.

560
00:37:33,360 --> 00:37:36,560
So I'm super thankful for seasons of rest as well.

561
00:37:36,560 --> 00:37:44,940
But yeah, our kids, both at different times in their lives, went through some pretty trying

562
00:37:44,940 --> 00:37:46,640
times and challenges.

563
00:37:46,640 --> 00:37:56,100
I look back and I really think that's definitely where our marriage grew exponentially.

564
00:37:56,100 --> 00:38:03,360
Because I think you can, you can do one of two things, either kind of, I don't know,

565
00:38:03,360 --> 00:38:09,080
get into the world of a pity party or just focus on yourself and lose sight of the other

566
00:38:09,080 --> 00:38:10,080
person.

567
00:38:10,080 --> 00:38:16,440
But we really were very intentional about our marriage and keeping that intact and growing

568
00:38:16,440 --> 00:38:24,080
and whole and together and on the same page and communicating so that we could go out

569
00:38:24,080 --> 00:38:25,960
and do the things that we did.

570
00:38:25,960 --> 00:38:26,960
Yeah.

571
00:38:26,960 --> 00:38:36,280
And my role here at the company was pretty significant, a lot of responsibility.

572
00:38:36,280 --> 00:38:40,760
I was doing marketplace ministry per se.

573
00:38:40,760 --> 00:38:43,880
We had started a prayer group here at the company.

574
00:38:43,880 --> 00:38:52,880
But I really, I look back, Jody, and I'm so thankful for Rick, who had incredible flexibility.

575
00:38:52,880 --> 00:39:01,000
We were both in it together and he really took the lion's share of the responsibility,

576
00:39:01,000 --> 00:39:05,960
especially with our son and when he was going through his challenges.

577
00:39:05,960 --> 00:39:11,920
But I do look back and I think it goes back to even me being able to go to Kentucky is

578
00:39:11,920 --> 00:39:19,600
that our company had just a revelation of the importance of family and especially moms

579
00:39:19,600 --> 00:39:24,760
and dads as well, but a heart for the family.

580
00:39:24,760 --> 00:39:32,000
And I did have a lot of flexibility to, at one point in time, I was responsible for picking

581
00:39:32,000 --> 00:39:37,640
our son up at school and he was going to a school way across town.

582
00:39:37,640 --> 00:39:45,080
And I had the flexibility to do that because then I could go home and work remote.

583
00:39:45,080 --> 00:39:52,520
So that period of time, I would never want to go through that again.

584
00:39:52,520 --> 00:40:01,040
But God's grace was so on us and he really equipped Rick and I both with just capacity

585
00:40:01,040 --> 00:40:11,080
to handle a lot of things at one point in time when our kids needed us the most, especially.

586
00:40:11,080 --> 00:40:17,760
Yeah, you mentioned how you really intentionally protected and built up your marriage during

587
00:40:17,760 --> 00:40:25,160
that time and that it is, you know, marriages in seasons of family strife really can tear

588
00:40:25,160 --> 00:40:26,720
apart.

589
00:40:26,720 --> 00:40:32,760
Just talk a little bit more about what practically you guys did to ensure that your marriage

590
00:40:32,760 --> 00:40:33,760
was strong.

591
00:40:33,760 --> 00:40:39,120
Yeah, well, a lot of prayer, you know, and I think that's, you know, looking back, I'm

592
00:40:39,120 --> 00:40:41,760
like, Lord, is that why you brought us to the house of prayer?

593
00:40:41,760 --> 00:40:51,840
Because in that season, we really did learn how to just really pray and pray together.

594
00:40:51,840 --> 00:40:54,320
So a lot of prayer.

595
00:40:54,320 --> 00:40:56,760
And that's so key that you say you were praying together.

596
00:40:56,760 --> 00:40:57,760
Oh, yeah.

597
00:40:57,760 --> 00:41:01,800
You weren't just each going off in your own wet place and praying, but you were praying

598
00:41:01,800 --> 00:41:02,800
together.

599
00:41:02,800 --> 00:41:08,280
So you were in praying in unity, which is three strand cord is not easily broken.

600
00:41:08,280 --> 00:41:10,000
So that's right.

601
00:41:10,000 --> 00:41:11,000
Yeah.

602
00:41:11,000 --> 00:41:17,640
So a lot of prayer, a lot of counseling, you know, totally believe in that.

603
00:41:17,640 --> 00:41:22,800
You know, of course, you know, our kids were going through counseling, our family was going

604
00:41:22,800 --> 00:41:26,840
through counseling together, you know, and Rick and I as well.

605
00:41:26,840 --> 00:41:34,000
So really, I mean, prayer, Christian counseling, and really having mentors, having an inner

606
00:41:34,000 --> 00:41:42,400
circle, a small inner circle circle of people to really share every detail of what was going

607
00:41:42,400 --> 00:41:51,480
on because we needed them to surround us in prayer to and to come alongside.

608
00:41:51,480 --> 00:41:58,280
And so really prayer, counseling, and an amazing inner circle of people.

609
00:41:58,280 --> 00:42:04,840
Yeah, that's so wise to have trusted friends to that, that, you know, are going to be there

610
00:42:04,840 --> 00:42:10,040
and encourage you and, you know, sounding boards that aren't going to blow things out

611
00:42:10,040 --> 00:42:14,040
of proportion when you just need somebody to talk to that are going to point you back

612
00:42:14,040 --> 00:42:15,040
to Jesus.

613
00:42:15,040 --> 00:42:16,040
Absolutely.

614
00:42:16,040 --> 00:42:17,040
Yeah.

615
00:42:17,040 --> 00:42:25,240
So in 2014, you actually became the president and COO of meter staffing, a large company

616
00:42:25,240 --> 00:42:28,520
with thousands of people relying on it for full employment.

617
00:42:28,520 --> 00:42:31,080
I mean, that's a lot of responsibility.

618
00:42:31,080 --> 00:42:32,760
How did you come to embrace that?

619
00:42:32,760 --> 00:42:36,960
Because, you know, early on you said you had no desire to be a leader.

620
00:42:36,960 --> 00:42:40,360
And now you're leading a company with thousands of employees.

621
00:42:40,360 --> 00:42:43,080
You know, I probably didn't do it that well.

622
00:42:43,080 --> 00:42:49,080
You know, I look back and of course, you know, my dad, still very involved in the company,

623
00:42:49,080 --> 00:42:50,720
especially at that point in time.

624
00:42:50,720 --> 00:42:55,520
And, you know, both of us together, I think, you know, we can admit, oh, we really could

625
00:42:55,520 --> 00:43:00,440
have done a much better job of that, of just a transition.

626
00:43:00,440 --> 00:43:03,120
Of course, you know, he's so funny.

627
00:43:03,120 --> 00:43:08,400
You know, he promoted himself to CEO and then I was promoted to president.

628
00:43:08,400 --> 00:43:13,600
And like I said, he was still very involved with the company.

629
00:43:13,600 --> 00:43:18,400
We're both very similar in a lot of ways, but very different as well.

630
00:43:18,400 --> 00:43:22,760
Of course, you know, the main differences, he's male, I'm female, you know, different

631
00:43:22,760 --> 00:43:25,080
generations, you know, different ages.

632
00:43:25,080 --> 00:43:29,520
And so, you know, when I first became president, you know, Jody, it's so funny.

633
00:43:29,520 --> 00:43:32,760
I think back.

634
00:43:32,760 --> 00:43:36,120
I don't think I really accepted the role, to be honest with you.

635
00:43:36,120 --> 00:43:42,960
I think I still looked at, well, you know, he's kind of still in charge.

636
00:43:42,960 --> 00:43:43,960
He's the CEO.

637
00:43:43,960 --> 00:43:53,720
And I probably advocated, you know, responsibility or leadership, knowing that I was called to

638
00:43:53,720 --> 00:44:01,160
do more, but maybe a little fearful of, OK, if I'm really in charge, everything kind of

639
00:44:01,160 --> 00:44:02,720
rises and falls with me.

640
00:44:02,720 --> 00:44:04,160
But it's interesting.

641
00:44:04,160 --> 00:44:07,880
In 2016 is when everything pivoted and changed.

642
00:44:07,880 --> 00:44:15,640
We had a it was the first one of the first major crisis in the past five, six years with

643
00:44:15,640 --> 00:44:16,640
our company.

644
00:44:16,640 --> 00:44:20,600
And we had a massive computer crash.

645
00:44:20,600 --> 00:44:26,760
And it's when I looked at my dad for the first time and he said, Melinda, you've got to take

646
00:44:26,760 --> 00:44:29,520
the company through this.

647
00:44:29,520 --> 00:44:32,560
He said, you've got to be in charge.

648
00:44:32,560 --> 00:44:36,480
And I said, is it because you really don't know what to do?

649
00:44:36,480 --> 00:44:39,360
And he said, kind of.

650
00:44:39,360 --> 00:44:41,280
And he said, I think you know better than me.

651
00:44:41,280 --> 00:44:45,920
And so that's really the moment when everything changed.

652
00:44:45,920 --> 00:44:53,480
And he said, oh, and it was like he kind of it's weird kind of talking this out because

653
00:44:53,480 --> 00:44:56,740
I'm having revelation as we're sitting here even talking.

654
00:44:56,740 --> 00:45:04,800
It's when he kind of turned and submitted to my leadership, which is so weird, because

655
00:45:04,800 --> 00:45:08,480
again, it's my dad.

656
00:45:08,480 --> 00:45:11,800
It's my boss.

657
00:45:11,800 --> 00:45:14,680
But that's when really everything turned.

658
00:45:14,680 --> 00:45:21,000
And then our company went through just various crisis situations leading up to the global

659
00:45:21,000 --> 00:45:22,000
pandemic.

660
00:45:22,000 --> 00:45:25,560
And the mantle really you accepted.

661
00:45:25,560 --> 00:45:29,440
So I just embraced it with my motto.

662
00:45:29,440 --> 00:45:34,960
What I definitely learned during the pandemic is just do it afraid.

663
00:45:34,960 --> 00:45:42,080
We all have, even though I know who I am in Christ, I know who he's called me to be, there's

664
00:45:42,080 --> 00:45:48,280
still those little voices in your head, those weird insecurities that are like, can you

665
00:45:48,280 --> 00:45:49,520
really do it?

666
00:45:49,520 --> 00:45:53,200
And I would just shut the voices and just do it afraid.

667
00:45:53,200 --> 00:45:54,760
Just do it.

668
00:45:54,760 --> 00:45:55,760
Somebody has to do it.

669
00:45:55,760 --> 00:45:58,040
And Melinda, you're called to do it.

670
00:45:58,040 --> 00:46:04,720
So in doing it, I knew that God was with me.

671
00:46:04,720 --> 00:46:10,400
My faith was just unmovable and unshakable because of all the miracles and things he's

672
00:46:10,400 --> 00:46:12,040
already done.

673
00:46:12,040 --> 00:46:20,400
And so I just continue to look back at those stories and those just memories and just went

674
00:46:20,400 --> 00:46:21,400
out and did it.

675
00:46:21,400 --> 00:46:26,880
Just share one of those miracle things that you look back on and draw strength from.

676
00:46:26,880 --> 00:46:29,080
Wow, there's so many.

677
00:46:29,080 --> 00:46:34,960
Even like the tornado this week, there's so many miracles.

678
00:46:34,960 --> 00:46:38,800
The one I think about, it was probably the computer crash.

679
00:46:38,800 --> 00:46:48,040
The miracle of, when I say computer crash, it was like all of our file servers.

680
00:46:48,040 --> 00:46:54,860
Back at that time, we had a whole lot of servers that stored all of our data, all of our information.

681
00:46:54,860 --> 00:47:00,860
We had backup tapes, all of those things were literally destroyed.

682
00:47:00,860 --> 00:47:09,040
And so there was a moment in time, like a few days where it was like, we have no data.

683
00:47:09,040 --> 00:47:13,880
We run payroll on a weekly basis for thousands of employees.

684
00:47:13,880 --> 00:47:19,340
We have, at that moment in time, you thought everything is gone.

685
00:47:19,340 --> 00:47:25,320
The software company that we worked with, oh my gosh, we were actually about to do a

686
00:47:25,320 --> 00:47:26,960
huge computer conversion.

687
00:47:26,960 --> 00:47:32,800
So we were leaving our existing software company, our applicant tracking system, and going to

688
00:47:32,800 --> 00:47:33,800
a new company.

689
00:47:33,800 --> 00:47:40,240
We called one of the gentlemen at that particular company that we were about to leave.

690
00:47:40,240 --> 00:47:44,800
Oh my God, he had so much grace and mercy on him.

691
00:47:44,800 --> 00:47:50,920
He actually, we're like, we're praying that you're going to be able to restore this.

692
00:47:50,920 --> 00:47:57,080
And he was able to restore our data up to, it was, okay, so that was 2016.

693
00:47:57,080 --> 00:48:04,620
He restored data through 2014 where we only had to rebuild 18 months of data.

694
00:48:04,620 --> 00:48:05,900
So that was a miracle.

695
00:48:05,900 --> 00:48:14,420
The next miracle was in four days, we were able to manually enter enough data where we

696
00:48:14,420 --> 00:48:19,360
were able to run a payroll and nobody in the outside world ever knew what was going on

697
00:48:19,360 --> 00:48:22,800
internally at Metter Staffing.

698
00:48:22,800 --> 00:48:27,500
That almost makes me want to start crying because it was just, it's those types of things

699
00:48:27,500 --> 00:48:33,000
that you're just like, that's just the goodness of God and definitely his hand and just miracle

700
00:48:33,000 --> 00:48:38,680
upon miracle that have really saved us time and time again.

701
00:48:38,680 --> 00:48:39,680
Pretty miraculous.

702
00:48:39,680 --> 00:48:40,680
Oh gosh, yeah.

703
00:48:40,680 --> 00:48:43,280
I could go on and on for days about this.

704
00:48:43,280 --> 00:48:51,040
I truly believe, and I think even Billy Graham might've said in years past that the marketplace

705
00:48:51,040 --> 00:48:57,000
is where the greatest transformation is going to happen and where the greatest numbers of

706
00:48:57,000 --> 00:49:00,000
people being saved is actually going to happen.

707
00:49:00,000 --> 00:49:09,080
And so in 35 years, I've been able to see just lives changed, not just people coming

708
00:49:09,080 --> 00:49:16,000
to the knowledge of who Jesus is, but I think in the marketplace is one of the, actually

709
00:49:16,000 --> 00:49:24,320
one of the safest places, believe it or not, where people are very vulnerable and transparent.

710
00:49:24,320 --> 00:49:28,800
And when they are going through really hard times, it's the place where they're going

711
00:49:28,800 --> 00:49:31,160
to be open and share.

712
00:49:31,160 --> 00:49:37,400
And I cannot begin to count the number of people who have, and these are non-believers

713
00:49:37,400 --> 00:49:41,920
who know what I believe and we are very forthright here at our company.

714
00:49:41,920 --> 00:49:43,680
It's all over our website.

715
00:49:43,680 --> 00:49:45,480
It's in our core values.

716
00:49:45,480 --> 00:49:50,680
People know what we believe, but the number of people that have come to me personally,

717
00:49:50,680 --> 00:49:53,480
Melinda, can you pray for me?

718
00:49:53,480 --> 00:49:57,800
I just think that opens so many doors of opportunities for business.

719
00:49:57,800 --> 00:50:04,600
I also, I'm thinking about somebody cares right now, just in a disaster crisis situation,

720
00:50:04,600 --> 00:50:12,160
God wants to bless his people and God uses resources such as financial prosperity.

721
00:50:12,160 --> 00:50:19,120
And so I look at Meador Staffing having been a great steward of money.

722
00:50:19,120 --> 00:50:23,160
And so even this afternoon, it's on my to-do list after I get off with you.

723
00:50:23,160 --> 00:50:29,120
It's, I have a list of all of the organizations that Meador Staffing is going to be donating

724
00:50:29,120 --> 00:50:32,300
to because of the tornado.

725
00:50:32,300 --> 00:50:35,240
So I look at the marketplace.

726
00:50:35,240 --> 00:50:42,920
I can't imagine being in any other arena or sphere of influence, but the marketplace is

727
00:50:42,920 --> 00:50:45,800
where Jesus can so shine brightly.

728
00:50:45,800 --> 00:50:52,160
I was actually chairman of the board for the Pasadena Chamber in the year 2020 of all years.

729
00:50:52,160 --> 00:51:00,200
And that's where I really saw the marketplace minister to people and to be virtually on

730
00:51:00,200 --> 00:51:09,520
so many meetings with government officials, with educators, with local businesses, and

731
00:51:09,520 --> 00:51:18,760
just to share the gospel of Jesus in a non-threatening way, but just really a special, special thing.

732
00:51:18,760 --> 00:51:26,760
So I, like I said, I can't imagine being anywhere else except in the marketplace and just the

733
00:51:26,760 --> 00:51:33,080
stories of being able to share the gospel and just bless people.

734
00:51:33,080 --> 00:51:38,000
So Melinda, you know, most of us can believe that God looks after us personally and equips

735
00:51:38,000 --> 00:51:40,440
us personally to do His will.

736
00:51:40,440 --> 00:51:46,920
And of course, we can see God's working, hand working in our church, but many probably don't

737
00:51:46,920 --> 00:51:52,040
think, you know, don't think about how God might also look after and equip companies

738
00:51:52,040 --> 00:51:53,040
and organizations.

739
00:51:53,040 --> 00:51:54,520
So what are your thoughts on that?

740
00:51:54,520 --> 00:52:02,520
I definitely learned just for every time you say yes, you have to say no to something else

741
00:52:02,520 --> 00:52:06,280
or else you'll just be worn out.

742
00:52:06,280 --> 00:52:08,700
You won't like what you do anymore.

743
00:52:08,700 --> 00:52:11,720
And that's where I think God is so instrumental.

744
00:52:11,720 --> 00:52:18,880
And what I've done throughout my career, especially the last 10 years, is God, you really have

745
00:52:18,880 --> 00:52:22,720
to show me where do you need me?

746
00:52:22,720 --> 00:52:26,280
What do I say yes to and what do I say no to?

747
00:52:26,280 --> 00:52:30,160
And so He's been so faithful in doing that.

748
00:52:30,160 --> 00:52:36,660
Just everything that I do, even, you know, especially the chairman role of the chamber,

749
00:52:36,660 --> 00:52:38,280
because I really didn't want to do it.

750
00:52:38,280 --> 00:52:40,240
I was like, I don't want to do this.

751
00:52:40,240 --> 00:52:41,720
Like my dad did all that stuff.

752
00:52:41,720 --> 00:52:44,600
I don't want to, I don't want to keep doing all the things that he did.

753
00:52:44,600 --> 00:52:45,800
And what are the intentions?

754
00:52:45,800 --> 00:52:52,920
And so really praying about, Lord, do I accept this role?

755
00:52:52,920 --> 00:52:58,520
The way he speaks to me is so just very kind of matter of fact, yes.

756
00:52:58,520 --> 00:53:01,080
But I really don't want to do it.

757
00:53:01,080 --> 00:53:02,080
I understand.

758
00:53:02,080 --> 00:53:04,840
I don't think I can do it.

759
00:53:04,840 --> 00:53:06,640
But I'm God, Melinda, and you're not.

760
00:53:06,640 --> 00:53:08,600
And so that's just how he talks to me.

761
00:53:08,600 --> 00:53:17,720
And so a lot of prayer about things I'm personally involved with, you know, outside of the company,

762
00:53:17,720 --> 00:53:21,400
huge decisions, even small decisions, you know, that we make in the company.

763
00:53:21,400 --> 00:53:27,480
For example, yesterday I was in my car and I was like, Lord, it's a really busy day.

764
00:53:27,480 --> 00:53:31,320
But do I need to go to the Deer Park office and see the team?

765
00:53:31,320 --> 00:53:36,800
I mean, it was like an immediate I just knew, yes, drive over there.

766
00:53:36,800 --> 00:53:38,040
They need to see you.

767
00:53:38,040 --> 00:53:39,120
You need to see them.

768
00:53:39,120 --> 00:53:44,640
So it's even those what we deem as like small and significant decisions.

769
00:53:44,640 --> 00:53:49,560
It really is just leaning on him and asking him in prayer.

770
00:53:49,560 --> 00:53:50,560
What do I do?

771
00:53:50,560 --> 00:53:56,120
Because there's many times running a company, everybody thinks you know what to do, but

772
00:53:56,120 --> 00:53:57,120
you don't.

773
00:53:57,120 --> 00:54:00,480
And it's like, just give me enough wisdom for the next 24 hours.

774
00:54:00,480 --> 00:54:05,480
And that's really what he did, especially during the year of COVID, because it was it

775
00:54:05,480 --> 00:54:06,800
was hard in the beginning.

776
00:54:06,800 --> 00:54:10,280
And it was you didn't know what to do hour by hour.

777
00:54:10,280 --> 00:54:15,520
And I just Lord, just give me enough wisdom and insight for the next 24 hours.

778
00:54:15,520 --> 00:54:16,520
That's interesting.

779
00:54:16,520 --> 00:54:22,240
You say how people are more readily likely to open up with, you know, with their colleagues

780
00:54:22,240 --> 00:54:23,240
at work.

781
00:54:23,240 --> 00:54:28,960
But you think, you know, you spend 40 plus hours a week with those colleagues, probably

782
00:54:28,960 --> 00:54:32,520
more time than you spend with almost anybody else.

783
00:54:32,520 --> 00:54:41,360
So you they really do become your close allies, hopefully, when a business can create a culture

784
00:54:41,360 --> 00:54:49,340
of caring and openness, as believers would, it really does lay the groundwork for some

785
00:54:49,340 --> 00:54:54,680
honest conversations that that can speak truth into people's lives.

786
00:54:54,680 --> 00:54:55,680
That's right.

787
00:54:55,680 --> 00:54:56,680
Where are we going today?

788
00:54:56,680 --> 00:54:59,960
So how does your faith and you've talked about this a little bit, but I'm just going to get

789
00:54:59,960 --> 00:55:01,820
at it for one little different direction.

790
00:55:01,820 --> 00:55:07,480
How does your faith in God impact and inform your personal and your professional decisions

791
00:55:07,480 --> 00:55:08,480
and your involvement?

792
00:55:08,480 --> 00:55:10,600
I mean, because you're involved, you were involved in the chamber.

793
00:55:10,600 --> 00:55:14,760
But I know you you have to be selective with how busy you are.

794
00:55:14,760 --> 00:55:20,080
Gosh, you know, my another key truth, I actually I look at I have this little thing that's

795
00:55:20,080 --> 00:55:21,080
over here.

796
00:55:21,080 --> 00:55:23,120
It's our company's core values.

797
00:55:23,120 --> 00:55:25,680
And it's Belinda's core values.

798
00:55:25,680 --> 00:55:28,480
And you know, I have a life statement, and then I have three core values.

799
00:55:28,480 --> 00:55:34,440
And you know, what am I true, so I'm looking at it's number three, it's what God says

800
00:55:34,440 --> 00:55:36,000
is true for me.

801
00:55:36,000 --> 00:55:37,680
And it's just it's God's words.

802
00:55:37,680 --> 00:55:38,680
It's his promises.

803
00:55:38,680 --> 00:55:44,080
It's what he says has to be true for me, because he's not a liar.

804
00:55:44,080 --> 00:55:47,320
Everything that he says is, is true.

805
00:55:47,320 --> 00:55:51,640
And so that's really what I just what I live by.

806
00:55:51,640 --> 00:55:53,120
Boy, that's a faith walk.

807
00:55:53,120 --> 00:55:54,800
And that's what God wants us to be like.

808
00:55:54,800 --> 00:55:59,600
But you know, it's also I, I've begun to think of obedience to God as just walking

809
00:55:59,600 --> 00:56:00,600
with God.

810
00:56:00,600 --> 00:56:05,440
You know, when we think of obedience, it's like, oh, you know, I gotta obey.

811
00:56:05,440 --> 00:56:09,940
But really, it's just walking with God, it's it's seeing him move this way, or seeing

812
00:56:09,940 --> 00:56:12,840
him move that way and keeping in step with him.

813
00:56:12,840 --> 00:56:15,580
And he doesn't show us too far in advance.

814
00:56:15,580 --> 00:56:20,320
So it is that daily walk, God, where are we going today?

815
00:56:20,320 --> 00:56:26,720
One of the catchphrases is live your truth, but we can't live our truth because we don't

816
00:56:26,720 --> 00:56:29,120
know truth outside of God's truth.

817
00:56:29,120 --> 00:56:30,120
That is so powerful.

818
00:56:30,120 --> 00:56:31,120
So read it again.

819
00:56:31,120 --> 00:56:32,120
Read that.

820
00:56:32,120 --> 00:56:33,120
Read that key statement again.

821
00:56:33,120 --> 00:56:35,640
What God says is true for me.

822
00:56:35,640 --> 00:56:37,880
Yeah, so powerful.

823
00:56:37,880 --> 00:56:38,880
What God says is true for me.

824
00:56:38,880 --> 00:56:41,040
It has to be true for us.

825
00:56:41,040 --> 00:56:46,360
And you know, I, I see truth when I was in graduate school, one of the first professors

826
00:56:46,360 --> 00:56:54,280
I had, Terry Lindvall, he said, all truth is God's truth, no matter where it's found.

827
00:56:54,280 --> 00:56:58,480
And Satan will try to claim truth in some places.

828
00:56:58,480 --> 00:57:02,320
But if it's truth, it is from God, because he is the author of truth.

829
00:57:02,320 --> 00:57:03,320
And he is true.

830
00:57:03,320 --> 00:57:04,320
Yeah, he is.

831
00:57:04,320 --> 00:57:09,620
Well, I love to ask my guests what women or women of the Bible have inspired or encouraged

832
00:57:09,620 --> 00:57:12,240
or taught you something in your life.

833
00:57:12,240 --> 00:57:13,240
What about you, Melinda?

834
00:57:13,240 --> 00:57:14,960
Is there someone who comes to mind?

835
00:57:14,960 --> 00:57:17,080
That's such, that's a really good question.

836
00:57:17,080 --> 00:57:18,680
And there's so many amazing women.

837
00:57:18,680 --> 00:57:24,080
But you know, the first one that I think about, of course, is Deborah, which, you know, was

838
00:57:24,080 --> 00:57:25,980
a judge for Israel.

839
00:57:25,980 --> 00:57:30,920
And I just, you know, I think about her and what I love about her the most is her success

840
00:57:30,920 --> 00:57:42,800
was all based on her faith in God, her wisdom, her ability to, to honor, to come alongside,

841
00:57:42,800 --> 00:57:50,920
you know, to bring alongside a man to go into battle, her courage, her do it afraid, you

842
00:57:50,920 --> 00:57:57,440
know, type of mentality, just her courage to go into battle.

843
00:57:57,440 --> 00:57:59,560
And just a leader of leaders.

844
00:57:59,560 --> 00:58:07,440
And so she always just stands out for me as somebody just so amazing and inspiring.

845
00:58:07,440 --> 00:58:14,320
In Ephesians 2:10, in the NIV version, the Apostle Paul writes, for we are God's handiwork

846
00:58:14,320 --> 00:58:20,020
created in Christ Jesus to do good work, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

847
00:58:20,020 --> 00:58:26,800
And Philippians 2:13 says, God works in you to will and to act on to act in accordance

848
00:58:26,800 --> 00:58:30,480
with fulfilling his good purposes.

849
00:58:30,480 --> 00:58:35,560
God created Melinda to lead a company that employs thousands of people through tumultuous

850
00:58:35,560 --> 00:58:42,040
times, her life of prayer, her integrity, her openness to innovation have helped many

851
00:58:42,040 --> 00:58:47,560
people weather the various storms that we've really all lived through in the past few years.

852
00:58:47,560 --> 00:58:52,800
God equipped her for this time, long before she even knew she needed her unique leadership

853
00:58:52,800 --> 00:58:54,560
qualities.

854
00:58:54,560 --> 00:58:58,040
And dear friends, God wants to do the same for you.

855
00:58:58,040 --> 00:59:03,520
Submit your plans and your future to the Lord and let him work in you to both will and act

856
00:59:03,520 --> 00:59:05,840
in order to fulfill his good purpose.

857
00:59:05,840 --> 00:59:08,280
You'll be amazed where he takes you.

858
00:59:08,280 --> 00:59:12,240
Melinda, would you take a moment and just pray for everyone who listens to your story

859
00:59:12,240 --> 00:59:13,240
today?

860
00:59:13,240 --> 00:59:14,240
Oh, I'd love to.

861
00:59:14,240 --> 00:59:17,680
So Lord, we just we just thank you so much, Father.

862
00:59:17,680 --> 00:59:23,340
Thank you so much for for Jody, Lord, and the conversations, the podcast that she's

863
00:59:23,340 --> 00:59:24,340
put together.

864
00:59:24,340 --> 00:59:28,240
Father, we pray her message go into the ends of the earth.

865
00:59:28,240 --> 00:59:33,760
Father, God, we pray for each woman who is listening and those who will listen in the

866
00:59:33,760 --> 00:59:34,760
future.

867
00:59:34,760 --> 00:59:38,880
Father, we pray just courage and wisdom and discernment over them.

868
00:59:38,880 --> 00:59:44,120
Father, where they are fearful, Lord, just provide unbelievable courage and to do it

869
00:59:44,120 --> 00:59:45,120
afraid.

870
00:59:45,120 --> 00:59:51,240
Father, God, we pray the blood of Jesus over each of them, Father, over their decisions,

871
00:59:51,240 --> 00:59:53,120
over the things that they say yes to.

872
00:59:53,120 --> 00:59:58,000
Father, God, that you would equip and power that you would guide them every step.

873
00:59:58,000 --> 01:00:04,040
Father, we pray over their prayer life, Lord, that they would come to you with unbelievable

874
01:00:04,040 --> 01:00:05,040
faith.

875
01:00:05,040 --> 01:00:10,400
Father, God, and Lord, we just thank you for what we are able to do in the marketplace.

876
01:00:10,400 --> 01:00:12,920
Father, would you bless their marriages?

877
01:00:12,920 --> 01:00:18,400
Father, bless those who are mothers, Father, and we thank you for what you're doing across

878
01:00:18,400 --> 01:00:19,400
the earth.

879
01:00:19,400 --> 01:00:22,560
Lord, thank you in the name of Jesus.

880
01:00:22,560 --> 01:00:23,560
Amen.

881
01:00:23,560 --> 01:00:24,960
Thank you for tuning in.

882
01:00:24,960 --> 01:00:29,720
In our show notes at hergodstory.org, you'll find scriptures and other information that

883
01:00:29,720 --> 01:00:31,100
we talked about.

884
01:00:31,100 --> 01:00:33,280
And don't forget to sign up for our emails.

885
01:00:33,280 --> 01:00:36,960
You'll get a free six-week devotional that you can download.

886
01:00:36,960 --> 01:00:42,600
Or you may want to purchase a 12-week devotional on Women of the Bible for just $12, knowing

887
01:00:42,600 --> 01:00:46,080
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888
01:00:46,080 --> 01:00:49,400
We'd love to pray with you on our 24-7 prayer and text line.

889
01:00:49,400 --> 01:00:57,360
So give us a call anytime at 855-459-CARE or email us at prayer@somebodycares.org.

890
01:00:57,360 --> 01:01:01,120
And now, dear friends, I bless you from Hebrews 13:21.

891
01:01:01,120 --> 01:01:05,960
May God equip you with all you need for doing His will.

892
01:01:05,960 --> 01:01:10,440
May He produce in you through the power of Jesus Christ every good thing that's pleasing

893
01:01:10,440 --> 01:01:15,840
to Him so that all glory is His forever and ever.

894
01:01:15,840 --> 01:01:19,880
Her God Story is a ministry of Somebody Cares America and international.

895
01:01:19,880 --> 01:01:46,880
To find out more about or support the ministry, go to somebodycares.org.