Watch What God Will Do! Wendy Griffith’s Story

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The story you'll hear in a moment was recorded on Friday, May 13th.

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During our conversation, my guest Wendy Griffith mentions praying that the headlines regarding

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the men trapped in the steelworks in Marupol would say they were allowed to evacuate.

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On Monday, May 16th, as I was scanning the BBC World News feed, I saw the headline, Marupol,

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hundreds of besieged Ukrainian soldiers evacuated.

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Prayer works.

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Now to Wendy's God Story.

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Hey friends.

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I hope you are ready for a faith-filled God Story that will encourage and inspire you.

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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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You may recognize Wendy Griffith's name.

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You may have seen her co-hosting the 700 Club or anchoring Christian World News, but there's

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a lot more to Wendy than her on-air accolades.

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She is a joyful, adventurous, and beautiful, on the inside and out, woman of God, who,

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when we were both single, I'm privileged to say, was my housemate for a number of years.

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Wendy has co-authored two books.

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She's reported from Capitol Hill and many other places.

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And to my chagrin, she climbed Mount Kilimanjaro without me.

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We had planned to do that at one point, but it didn't happen, and she did it years later.

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I still wish I would have been on that trip with you, Wendy, but I know our listeners

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are going to love your story.

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So welcome, Wendy.

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Great to see you, my former roomie, and never too late.

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We can still, let's do it again.

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I've been thinking about climbing it again anyway.

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So all right.

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Well, I better start working out then.

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Well, Wendy, you just returned from another quite interesting place.

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You were reporting on the Ukraine crisis for CBN News.

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What was that experience like and what did God show you there?

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I didn't know really what to expect, Jodi.

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I got to the border.

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It was super cold, raining that day.

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Operation Blessing had a tent.

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We used to head Operation Blessing for CBN.

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I was so blown away.

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I don't always get to see OB in action, but people were coming in.

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They had just gotten off.

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Some of them had been on trains for two days.

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Some had to walk.

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Even some, or they just had been in bunkers for a month.

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They finally make it to the border, right?

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And so there's all these humanitarian agencies, including OB, and when they got to the OB

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tent, some of them would need a change of clothes because they were soaking wet.

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It was raining that day.

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And I remember one man came in with a little boy.

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He was a single father.

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His wife had passed about a year and a half ago and they were in a dangerous part of Ukraine.

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They finally made it out.

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They were both soaked.

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The baby was screaming.

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By the time they left the OB tent, both of them had changed clothes, a new coat, a new

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suitcase.

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I mean, I was coveting the suitcase.

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I was spying.

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They had food and we prayed for them.

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Their countenance was completely different.

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And he showed me pictures of the city where he had been in the eastern part of Ukraine,

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devastating photos.

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But I was so shocked at the smiles that when they came in, maybe they were just so relieved

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to be somewhere safe.

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Somebody was there with a warm blanket, with a warm cup of coffee and saying, we care for

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you.

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So I got to see OB in action.

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I got to meet some amazing people, very courageous.

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I mean, honestly, I just came away inspired.

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One of the books you co-authored was called Praying the News.

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And it's actually really a timely topic for me.

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When I was having my devotions this morning, I was glancing through the news and I saw

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this news report about a paratrooper who was killed by a bear in Alaska.

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So I just glanced at it and I noticed the guy was in my brother's army command.

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Like he was, he reported to my brother.

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So I started praying for him and the whole situation immediately.

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It's so timely that we can actually, God shows us what to pray for out of the news.

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You know, in your situation in Ukraine, how can people pray for that situation?

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We hear so many different opinions and reports coming out of there.

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God has a clarity for us.

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What's your sense in that?

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When I was writing that book, God told me, tell my people they have the power to change

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the headlines.

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And that stuck with me so much because I thought, wow, because that's what we want to see in

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Ukraine.

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We want to see Russia is defeated.

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Ukraine wins.

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Zelensky survives.

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I think we forget the power tool that God has given us.

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Prayer is our biggest power tool.

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It's a weapon that we need to use.

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You know, we need to pull it out of our arsenal.

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We need to get on our knees and remember that the prayers of the righteous avail much, not

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little.

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We can see headlines change.

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I remember years ago praying for another war, Syria and Turkey.

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I can't remember the name of this town, but under siege and ISIS had already put their

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black flag on top of this town.

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It was the female Kurdish army.

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They were there.

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And I remember because, you know, as a woman, I was like really rooting for this female

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Kurdish army.

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And I started to pray and this town was everybody.

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All the newscasters were saying, you know, it's inevitable.

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This town is lost to ISIS.

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It's no hope.

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It's all hope was lost.

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And I decided to pray for a different headline.

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And I mean, I can't have been the only one praying, Jodi.

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It wasn't a couple of days later where that town, ISIS was kicked out.

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And it turned out that that female army played a huge role in, you know, recapturing their

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town.

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So, yeah, we can change the headlines.

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And I'm guilty of not getting on my knees enough.

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Or I'll tell you what I have been praying.

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First of all, that God will just not allow Putin to press the nuclear button in any way,

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shape or form, you know, from the smaller tactical nukes that he could use just in Ukraine

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to the bigger nukes that could take out a European city or even an American city.

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So I've been praying.

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God just don't physically let him be able to punch that button or anybody in the Kremlin.

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Praying for that and been praying.

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There's wounded soldiers in there.

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I think there's still like a thousand or something like it.

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So I've been praying for a different headline for that scenario, because those people need

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to be rescued.

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And I don't know why.

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I mean, I know even Turkey.

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I heard today that Turkey was trying to help those people get out.

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And Russia said no.

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And so it's almost like they're just torturing these people that, you know, they have no

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food, they have no water.

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They need to be rescued.

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Gosh, I mean, there's just so much to pray about in terms of Ukraine right now.

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Yeah, actually a few days ago saw that they, some of the civilians actually were allowed

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out, but none of the men.

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There is so much to pray about and we can, I mean, we don't have to stand here wringing

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our hands when we see bad news.

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We can go to the God who is the newsmaker.

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You know, a lot of people have seen you on TV and working at, for a prominent Christian

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ministry and they may wonder how you got there.

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A lot of people would love to be doing what you're doing, Wendy.

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It was, but it was quite a journey for you.

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And it all started when you came to faith in Jesus.

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So what was going on in your life?

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It was a while ago now, but what was going on in your life and how did you come to encounter

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Christ?

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Well, I had already been in local news for 10 years.

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During the end of that 10 years, I was in Rockford, Illinois.

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I went to church with my cousin and I was like, my eyes were opened.

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This was a speaker sensitive church.

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I'd never heard contemporary Christian music.

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My heart, my spirit was ready.

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I gave my life to the Lord.

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I got baptized not too long later and was excited about being a new Christian.

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I think I'd received Christ when I was little, you know, in church camp when I was about

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12 or 13.

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But this was real.

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This was different.

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This felt like an adult decision.

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And then I ended up going back to Charleston, West Virginia as an anchor, which is my hometown

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from West Virginia.

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Started watching the 700 Club, loved it, knew everybody, knew all the players and they advertised

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for a singles conference in 1998 and I heard the Holy Spirit say, take a tape with you.

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And by now I was out of TV, I was working for the governor.

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When the Lord said, take a tape with you, I kind of thought it was a fluke and sort

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of argue with the Lord a little bit.

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But I thought I better take the tape just in case.

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So I did.

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And I get there.

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And I mean, I was just, we were in the audience, got to see the 700 Club live and my heart

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was beating so fast.

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And I just knew this is what God had.

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So I dropped the tape off.

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I didn't even bring like a resume or a cover letter or anything.

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I just hand scribbled a note.

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This is when you know it's God.

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When you do everything you can not to get something and then he makes it happen anyway.

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I hand scribbled a note.

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I didn't even know who the news director was.

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To Terry Newsome, gave the note to the lady that was kind of hosting us in the studio

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that day, she got my tape to the news director and two weeks later they called said they

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got the tape, but could I send a resume and do the normal things that you need to do?

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Right.

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So I did.

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But it was that Rhema word, you know, hearing that still small voice.

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And I was a pretty new Christian too.

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But I was like, you know, I think the Holy Spirit just told me to take a tape with me

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to that singles conference.

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So I'm really glad I listened because 22 years later and lots of adventures with Christian

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Rock and St. Network, here I am.

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I even got to be a cohost for eight years with Pat.

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Yeah.

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Well, I just, you know, I think going back a little bit, I think of the news media and

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the news industry.

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What comes to mind is that movie with Robert Redford and Michelle Pfeiffer, Up Close and

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Personal, where you've got to really outmaneuver everybody else and you've got to push yourself

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forward.

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You know, I mean, the Lord really directed your steps in kind of a different way.

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You started in before you were a believer.

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So maybe you had some of that in your early days.

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But once you became a Christian, God really ordered your steps from Rockford, Illinois.

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How did you get to the governor's office in West Virginia?

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So I had become a Christian.

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So now we had a new news director and he thought Wendy on the weekends had a nice ring to it.

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Well, I didn't think it did because I had already been on the weekends.

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I had left the station and come back as a main anchor.

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I didn't want to go back to the weekends.

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And by then I knew that scripture, Jeremiah 29, 11, where God says, I know the plans I

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have for you, plans to prosper you.

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I had this devotional.

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I had it opened.

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And I remember thinking, and you know, when you're a new Christian, it's so easy to take

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the word at face value.

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You don't question it.

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You're like, wait a minute, this is not God, you know?

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Yeah.

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This is not prospering me.

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This is taking me back.

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They're going to offer me like $2,000 more a year.

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I'm like, no, I don't want to go back to the weekends.

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It was great when I was, when you're young and you're starting out in TV, you'll take

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any gig.

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I mean, it's great, but if you've done it.

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And I was like, no.

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I said, Lord, that's not Jeremiah 29, 11.

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So I was covering politics in Charleston, which is the capital.

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And I decided to throw my name in the hat for press secretary and I got it.

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It was a big pay raise and the guy that wanted to send me back to the weekends got to read

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in the newspaper that I got a job and got quite a big raise too.

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That's a big step of faith.

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I mean, I look at, you know, what the press secretary has to go through, the White House

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press secretary.

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And it's not quite to that level, but I'm sure you encountered some hostility and some

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interesting people in your position there.

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How did the Lord kind of guide you through that season?

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My first week on the job, we had major flooding.

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There's 55 counties in West Virginia and about 33 of them were underwater.

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The governor was a very gracious man and he had been governor, the oldest governor in

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West Virginia's history.

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And he had also been the youngest governor in West Virginia's history 40 years prior.

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So he was older and very gracious.

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But he came to me and he said, Wendy, what do we do?

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What do you want me to do?

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Because we had all this flooding.

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So I'm still thinking like a reporter, you know, like a news person, but also now I need

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to work with the media.

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So I said, well, let's get you up in a helicopter, you know, get some camo on.

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You're going to get out there and you're going to meet the flood victims.

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You're going to hug some babies, you know, we're going to like, you know, and it was

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a great success because people like boots on the ground.

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And so my experience as a reporter came in handy in that scenario.

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00:12:48,900 --> 00:12:54,100
Fast forward about six months, we have more flooding again, Wendy, what do we do as far

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as you know, our PR campaign?

252
00:12:56,580 --> 00:12:58,300
But again, it worked before.

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Let's do it again.

254
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We've had fire this time.

255
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Now we're like, no, we want results.

256
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We want flood walls.

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Give us some money to build flood walls.

258
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You know, they didn't want just boots.

259
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They didn't want a hug.

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So I learned a lot.

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I just remember the governor wasn't happy with me because I didn't deliver.

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I'm 32 years old.

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I've never been a press secretary, but I was just like going on my experience as a reporter.

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You know, it was fun and they were again, he and his wife were very gracious, had a

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lot of fun times at the governor's mansion.

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And I remember just, you know, I could, I sort of had access to the governor's mansion,

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including the kitchen so I could walk through the kitchen and I would always somehow manage

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to put my hand in the cookie jar because they had this chef that made the most delicious

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chocolate chip cookies.

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His name was Otis.

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You know, just a lot of fun memories, but that's how that little stint happened at the

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governor's office.

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That's the only time I've been out of TV, you know, in 30, gosh, 34 years.

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You went back to TV after the governor's office.

275
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Is that when you went to that singles conference and what did they do?

276
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They got your, they got your interview tape and what happened?

277
00:14:10,620 --> 00:14:15,860
Then Michael Patrick called me, left a, he left a voicemail on my phone.

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Thanksgiving of 1998 said, we like you.

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We want to hire you.

280
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And I started January 4th, 1999.

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I thought I was going to be doing stories, testimonies about people that came to Jesus

282
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because I'd been watching the 700 club.

283
00:14:31,260 --> 00:14:36,860
So they sent me to Capitol Hill to the DC office and my first assignment is covering

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the impeachment trial.

285
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Oh my gosh.

286
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So it was, but God had prepared me by letting me be in the governor's office for almost

287
00:14:47,420 --> 00:14:48,780
two years.

288
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Our Capitol looks like a mini version of the national Capitol and just being around power.

289
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God had let me be around movers and shakers and, and lawmakers and the governor.

290
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And then now I'm sort of still in that fish bowl, but it's a bigger bowl now.

291
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It was a heavy time spiritually for our country.

292
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I just remember it just felt like a dark cloud was over DC during that whole impeachment

293
00:15:14,240 --> 00:15:17,140
trial with Bill Clinton, but I was there.

294
00:15:17,140 --> 00:15:20,780
You were there for about a year and then, then you came down to Virginia beach.

295
00:15:20,780 --> 00:15:21,780
That's right.

296
00:15:21,780 --> 00:15:25,420
In 2000, I think, I think we actually met on the beach.

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00:15:25,420 --> 00:15:29,340
I think you were there at the one weekend when we were all at the beach playing volleyball

298
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or something and somebody introduced us.

299
00:15:31,620 --> 00:15:32,620
Yeah.

300
00:15:32,620 --> 00:15:36,700
And I remember, you know, we met for coffee somewhere or lunch, you know, just hit it

301
00:15:36,700 --> 00:15:39,780
off and you were like, so I got to be your roommate for four years.

302
00:15:39,780 --> 00:15:40,780
And thank you so much for that.

303
00:15:40,780 --> 00:15:41,780
A lot of fun.

304
00:15:41,780 --> 00:15:44,700
We got to see a lot going on in each other's lives during those years.

305
00:15:44,700 --> 00:15:45,700
Oh my goodness.

306
00:15:45,700 --> 00:15:46,700
Didn't we?

307
00:15:46,700 --> 00:15:47,700
You got to be at your wedding.

308
00:15:47,700 --> 00:15:48,700
Yes.

309
00:15:48,700 --> 00:15:50,620
You came down to start anchoring Christian world news, right?

310
00:15:50,620 --> 00:15:56,100
Well, I came down to work with Christian world news, order and also do reports for CBN news.

311
00:15:56,100 --> 00:16:01,660
And then about six months later or so there was an opening for an anchor for Christian

312
00:16:01,660 --> 00:16:02,660
world news.

313
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I've had that role since then.

314
00:16:04,500 --> 00:16:09,400
So while your professional life was on a trajectory up, really, you know, the Lord was taking

315
00:16:09,400 --> 00:16:13,420
you from kind of success to success to success.

316
00:16:13,420 --> 00:16:17,180
On the personal side, you went through some hurts, but God was teaching you some lessons

317
00:16:17,180 --> 00:16:18,180
through that.

318
00:16:18,180 --> 00:16:19,180
Share some of that.

319
00:16:19,180 --> 00:16:24,100
I was having so much fun with my job and traveling and doing a lot of international reporting

320
00:16:24,100 --> 00:16:26,300
and that I was willing to wait.

321
00:16:26,300 --> 00:16:30,660
I remember having a lot of grace, you know, even during my forties and was able to celebrate

322
00:16:30,660 --> 00:16:34,120
with other people when they got married and both my sisters got married.

323
00:16:34,120 --> 00:16:35,120
You got married.

324
00:16:35,120 --> 00:16:37,580
I mean, everybody was getting married, but I was like, yeah, my turn's coming.

325
00:16:37,580 --> 00:16:38,580
I'm good.

326
00:16:38,580 --> 00:16:39,700
All is well.

327
00:16:39,700 --> 00:16:42,580
And then in my late forties, I did meet a guy.

328
00:16:42,580 --> 00:16:44,140
I wasn't like in love at first.

329
00:16:44,140 --> 00:16:46,980
A few months later, I thought, man, this could be the one.

330
00:16:46,980 --> 00:16:48,540
We dated for a year.

331
00:16:48,540 --> 00:16:49,540
It was pretty serious.

332
00:16:49,540 --> 00:16:51,220
I thought, you know, this is it.

333
00:16:51,220 --> 00:16:53,580
He ended up breaking my heart so bad.

334
00:16:53,580 --> 00:16:56,900
I mean, I've never experienced heartbreak like this.

335
00:16:56,900 --> 00:17:01,300
And when it was all said and done, the Lord spoke to me, said, you loved him, but you

336
00:17:01,300 --> 00:17:02,300
didn't love yourself.

337
00:17:02,300 --> 00:17:05,100
You know, you settled for bad behavior.

338
00:17:05,100 --> 00:17:08,140
And he said, Wendy, you are a prize to be won.

339
00:17:08,140 --> 00:17:10,200
Write about your test.

340
00:17:10,200 --> 00:17:13,780
So I did, and you've seen the book, you are a prize to be won.

341
00:17:13,780 --> 00:17:15,580
Don't settle for less than God's best.

342
00:17:15,580 --> 00:17:18,180
There's never after I love you.

343
00:17:18,180 --> 00:17:22,120
When I look back at pictures of myself, and that was just 10 years ago, it was 10 years

344
00:17:22,120 --> 00:17:25,960
ago this year, all I see is sadness.

345
00:17:25,960 --> 00:17:29,380
You know, I might be smiling, but my eyes just look so different.

346
00:17:29,380 --> 00:17:37,620
And God just, he let God let me walk through such sorrow and grief and loss and rejection.

347
00:17:37,620 --> 00:17:41,340
I remember telling God, even when my book came out, I'm never going to say it was worth

348
00:17:41,340 --> 00:17:45,500
it, no matter how successful this book is, it was not worth it.

349
00:17:45,500 --> 00:17:53,980
Well, after my 150,000th email from some lady saying it changed her life, then I said, okay,

350
00:17:53,980 --> 00:17:56,460
God, it was worth it.

351
00:17:56,460 --> 00:18:00,420
Sometimes we go through pain, you know, it's not only for other people.

352
00:18:00,420 --> 00:18:02,920
God is working in us as well.

353
00:18:02,920 --> 00:18:03,980
Nothing is wasted.

354
00:18:03,980 --> 00:18:09,420
So when he works it in us, he then allows us to help others that are going through similar

355
00:18:09,420 --> 00:18:10,420
things.

356
00:18:10,420 --> 00:18:12,620
And thank God he, that is so true.

357
00:18:12,620 --> 00:18:15,100
He doesn't waste our pain, Jodie.

358
00:18:15,100 --> 00:18:18,780
And you know, but when I was going through it, he, he told me, you know, this season

359
00:18:18,780 --> 00:18:19,780
will end.

360
00:18:19,780 --> 00:18:24,220
I remember I was out walking one day and I, I think I was subconsciously thinking I missed

361
00:18:24,220 --> 00:18:25,220
my chance.

362
00:18:25,220 --> 00:18:26,220
I'm already in my late forties.

363
00:18:26,220 --> 00:18:27,220
I'm never going to meet anybody.

364
00:18:27,220 --> 00:18:30,660
But I heard so clearly, Wendy, you didn't miss it.

365
00:18:30,660 --> 00:18:32,020
And it's not too late.

366
00:18:32,020 --> 00:18:34,860
I remember, you know, going back and writing those down.

367
00:18:34,860 --> 00:18:39,140
And then a few months later, I remember I was on a plane and it was still, you know,

368
00:18:39,140 --> 00:18:42,180
the heartache was still fairly fresh, but I think it had been about a year and I was

369
00:18:42,180 --> 00:18:47,200
still, you know, dealing with the loss of a dream really, because I think down, I knew

370
00:18:47,200 --> 00:18:50,420
he wasn't the one, but I was dealing with rejection.

371
00:18:50,420 --> 00:18:55,100
And I was also dealing with the loss of what I, you know, of this dream of being married.

372
00:18:55,100 --> 00:18:59,260
And I heard the Lord so clearly say, I was kind of complaining to the Lord saying, you

373
00:18:59,260 --> 00:19:02,300
know, I wasted one of my best years and blah, blah, blah.

374
00:19:02,300 --> 00:19:04,980
And I'm, you know, never going to be this young again.

375
00:19:04,980 --> 00:19:07,980
And the Holy Spirit said, yeah, you're right.

376
00:19:07,980 --> 00:19:10,300
But now I'm going to give you my best.

377
00:19:10,300 --> 00:19:14,860
And I just like, I was sitting on a plane getting ready to take off for Turkey.

378
00:19:14,860 --> 00:19:19,480
And I remember thinking, wow, hearing that word was worth the cost of this flight.

379
00:19:19,480 --> 00:19:24,500
No matter what happens on this trip, I'm already, I mean, I just, I needed that word.

380
00:19:24,500 --> 00:19:28,700
And one thing, you know, I want to say to people that are listening, I think one of

381
00:19:28,700 --> 00:19:34,940
the biggest keys to fulfilling your destiny, one of the biggest keys to keeping your hope

382
00:19:34,940 --> 00:19:40,660
up to not missing what God has for you is getting these Ramah words is hearing from

383
00:19:40,660 --> 00:19:42,420
God for yourself.

384
00:19:42,420 --> 00:19:43,620
Great to get a prophetic word.

385
00:19:43,620 --> 00:19:47,660
It's great to, you know, obviously read your Bible, you know, spend time in the Lord.

386
00:19:47,660 --> 00:19:53,180
A lot of times I'm in the bathtub, I'm out walking, I'm sitting on an airplane.

387
00:19:53,180 --> 00:19:58,620
And all of a sudden I will hear the Holy Spirit say something that I really need.

388
00:19:58,620 --> 00:20:04,220
And write it down and take it to the bank because I can't tell you how many times I

389
00:20:04,220 --> 00:20:07,020
went back to the Lord with those words.

390
00:20:07,020 --> 00:20:10,140
Lord, you said, and give me your best.

391
00:20:10,140 --> 00:20:11,420
You said I didn't miss it.

392
00:20:11,420 --> 00:20:14,140
You said it's not too late.

393
00:20:14,140 --> 00:20:18,980
And then of course, I like to remind God of what's in the Bible as to the Lord, you said

394
00:20:18,980 --> 00:20:20,300
two are better than one.

395
00:20:20,300 --> 00:20:23,660
You will give us the desires of our hearts if we put you first.

396
00:20:23,660 --> 00:20:31,340
And so all of these things were keys to me not losing hope and still being able to rejoice

397
00:20:31,340 --> 00:20:37,140
with others as they're, you know, meeting their significant others and to just have

398
00:20:37,140 --> 00:20:39,660
that faith that, you know, my time is coming.

399
00:20:39,660 --> 00:20:43,380
I mean, you started hearing from the Lord really as soon as you got saved, the Lord

400
00:20:43,380 --> 00:20:45,420
started kind of speaking to you.

401
00:20:45,420 --> 00:20:51,460
I think a lot of people have difficulty discerning what is the voice of the Lord and what's my

402
00:20:51,460 --> 00:20:52,940
own self-talk.

403
00:20:52,940 --> 00:20:58,740
So how did you train yourself to understand and to discern what was God and what was your

404
00:20:58,740 --> 00:20:59,740
own desires?

405
00:20:59,740 --> 00:21:01,540
I think a lot of people have that question.

406
00:21:01,540 --> 00:21:02,540
They do.

407
00:21:02,540 --> 00:21:03,960
And it's a great question.

408
00:21:03,960 --> 00:21:06,220
And it just comes from practice a lot of times.

409
00:21:06,220 --> 00:21:10,060
So it'll be a thought that comes that you know, it's not your own thought.

410
00:21:10,060 --> 00:21:15,940
It will anything that contradicts the word of God or anything that would bring you down.

411
00:21:15,940 --> 00:21:17,900
I mean, God wants to encourage you.

412
00:21:17,900 --> 00:21:23,300
He's not going to give you a word like, you know, you're a loser.

413
00:21:23,300 --> 00:21:25,100
He's never going to say that.

414
00:21:25,100 --> 00:21:29,340
Now we might like sometimes think, you know, man, I really screwed up.

415
00:21:29,340 --> 00:21:31,300
I mean, I'm, I'm an idiot.

416
00:21:31,300 --> 00:21:35,860
No, no, that those are things sometimes we say to ourself that we should not be saying

417
00:21:35,860 --> 00:21:37,380
God is never going to do that.

418
00:21:37,380 --> 00:21:42,100
So and a lot of times it'll be, you know, I remember driving down the street in January

419
00:21:42,100 --> 00:21:47,560
and I was thanking God for these eight years I had Pat, you know, Pat Robertson just stepped

420
00:21:47,560 --> 00:21:49,520
down as co-host, daily co-host.

421
00:21:49,520 --> 00:21:51,180
I wasn't really praying.

422
00:21:51,180 --> 00:21:55,940
I mean, I wasn't even like having this conscious prayer to God.

423
00:21:55,940 --> 00:22:01,180
I was sort of just like, wow, I'm so thankful for those eight years with Pat.

424
00:22:01,180 --> 00:22:07,300
What a privilege, you know, that I got to be there as co-host when, you know, in the

425
00:22:07,300 --> 00:22:10,780
last eight years where he was, you know, it's a 60 year of ministry and I was just driving

426
00:22:10,780 --> 00:22:16,300
down the road and as soon as that I had that thought, I heard I'm not done.

427
00:22:16,300 --> 00:22:17,300
Okay.

428
00:22:17,300 --> 00:22:18,460
I'm like, awesome God.

429
00:22:18,460 --> 00:22:23,660
And then I just started crying because a lot of times when it, when it's the Holy Spirit,

430
00:22:23,660 --> 00:22:27,180
he knows what you need to hear and it will just move your heart.

431
00:22:27,180 --> 00:22:30,220
You know, man, did I need to hear it that day?

432
00:22:30,220 --> 00:22:32,940
I just, I, and he knew it and I wasn't even praying.

433
00:22:32,940 --> 00:22:38,280
I wasn't asking him for anything, but I was thanking him.

434
00:22:38,280 --> 00:22:45,980
So I think gratitude is also a key to receiving more from God because when we're faithful,

435
00:22:45,980 --> 00:22:48,900
God's faithful, but we're more faithful in a little, he's going to give us more.

436
00:22:48,900 --> 00:22:54,980
But also I think even when we're not, even when we've messed up, God is so good, Jodi,

437
00:22:54,980 --> 00:22:56,740
he's so good.

438
00:22:56,740 --> 00:22:58,860
And he knew that I needed to hear that.

439
00:22:58,860 --> 00:23:03,940
Well, I know, you know, for me, as I've learned over the years, a word from the Lord brings

440
00:23:03,940 --> 00:23:07,380
peace or joy or comfort or love.

441
00:23:07,380 --> 00:23:12,540
It doesn't bring confusion or fear or anxiety.

442
00:23:12,540 --> 00:23:16,920
I mean, I can make up all sorts of stories in my own mind, you know, and when it works

443
00:23:16,920 --> 00:23:20,940
me up, then I have to say, no, I'm taking every thought captive to the beginnings of

444
00:23:20,940 --> 00:23:21,940
Christ Jesus.

445
00:23:21,940 --> 00:23:25,640
And I'm tearing everything down that sets itself up against the knowledge of God because

446
00:23:25,640 --> 00:23:26,980
God is not there.

447
00:23:26,980 --> 00:23:32,100
God is not that God is not fear and anxiety and confusion is the opposite.

448
00:23:32,100 --> 00:23:33,100
Exactly.

449
00:23:33,100 --> 00:23:34,100
He's the opposite.

450
00:23:34,100 --> 00:23:38,860
So for me, that's one of those things I've had to teach myself is what is this word giving

451
00:23:38,860 --> 00:23:39,860
me?

452
00:23:39,860 --> 00:23:40,860
Is it giving me hope?

453
00:23:40,860 --> 00:23:41,860
Is it giving me joy?

454
00:23:41,860 --> 00:23:43,780
Is it giving me the things that God is?

455
00:23:43,780 --> 00:23:47,380
Is it imparting to me the character of Christ or not?

456
00:23:47,380 --> 00:23:48,380
Exactly.

457
00:23:48,380 --> 00:23:49,380
That's good.

458
00:23:49,380 --> 00:23:50,380
That's so good.

459
00:23:50,380 --> 00:23:56,140
So, Wendy, getting back on kind of back on your personal love story, God brought you

460
00:23:56,140 --> 00:24:00,980
a wonderful man and you know, you had been burned a few times.

461
00:24:00,980 --> 00:24:07,940
So what was different about this relationship that gave you the ability or the confidence

462
00:24:07,940 --> 00:24:09,220
to walk forward in it?

463
00:24:09,220 --> 00:24:15,780
Well, it wasn't love at first sight, but my girlfriend, Jenna, fixed me up with him at

464
00:24:15,780 --> 00:24:16,780
a nice time.

465
00:24:16,780 --> 00:24:19,620
And then I didn't see him for another month.

466
00:24:19,620 --> 00:24:24,460
But during that time, he would text or maybe call, but not a lot.

467
00:24:24,460 --> 00:24:27,180
And he was so well, it's funny.

468
00:24:27,180 --> 00:24:31,220
One thing I remember about his text was like his grammar was perfect.

469
00:24:31,220 --> 00:24:34,260
I mean, his promise and periods and there was no misspelled words.

470
00:24:34,260 --> 00:24:38,700
I think while he's very meticulous, I think it was really a blessing that it wasn't love

471
00:24:38,700 --> 00:24:44,500
at first sight because that gave Bill the ability to pursue me.

472
00:24:44,500 --> 00:24:46,820
And women are made to be pursued.

473
00:24:46,820 --> 00:24:51,140
And when our hearts are when we're pursued, our heart slowly opens.

474
00:24:51,140 --> 00:24:55,080
I got to enjoy that because Bill pursued me.

475
00:24:55,080 --> 00:24:58,660
And then eventually, of course, I realized, wow, I really like this guy.

476
00:24:58,660 --> 00:25:00,500
I just thank God in the beginning.

477
00:25:00,500 --> 00:25:04,740
Yeah, I was like, whatever, you know, he's nice.

478
00:25:04,740 --> 00:25:11,220
And that made him have to work a little bit harder, which is what men are created to do.

479
00:25:11,220 --> 00:25:12,980
And women were the receivers.

480
00:25:12,980 --> 00:25:14,740
We need to be pursued.

481
00:25:14,740 --> 00:25:17,740
So I love how that happened.

482
00:25:17,740 --> 00:25:19,340
And now I'm just madly in love with him.

483
00:25:19,340 --> 00:25:22,540
You know, well, I love seeing the pictures that you put on Facebook.

484
00:25:22,540 --> 00:25:24,260
You're just beaming all the time.

485
00:25:24,260 --> 00:25:28,500
He's really brought out the joy of the Lord in you and in you and him.

486
00:25:28,500 --> 00:25:32,020
I don't really know him very well, but just a couple of times I've met him.

487
00:25:32,020 --> 00:25:33,940
It seems like you are very well suited.

488
00:25:33,940 --> 00:25:35,380
And he makes me laugh.

489
00:25:35,380 --> 00:25:36,380
That's what God knew.

490
00:25:36,380 --> 00:25:40,300
Like the other guy that broke my heart, he didn't make me laugh.

491
00:25:40,300 --> 00:25:44,100
I mean, he's like this guy makes me laugh and smile every day.

492
00:25:44,100 --> 00:25:47,900
I remember before I was married, I was madly in love with this guy.

493
00:25:47,900 --> 00:25:49,020
At least I thought I was.

494
00:25:49,020 --> 00:25:51,540
He ticked all the boxes on my want list.

495
00:25:51,540 --> 00:25:55,220
You know, we seemed so perfectly matched together in my own mind.

496
00:25:55,220 --> 00:25:58,060
Well, for me, it was time for me to get married.

497
00:25:58,060 --> 00:26:01,460
And if I was going to have children, I needed to do it right then.

498
00:26:01,460 --> 00:26:05,900
And you know, he was a spiritual guy and he just all the things.

499
00:26:05,900 --> 00:26:09,420
And like you, he broke my heart.

500
00:26:09,420 --> 00:26:14,020
And I mean, I remember sitting in the kitchen one day and just saying, God, I don't know

501
00:26:14,020 --> 00:26:15,020
what's wrong with me.

502
00:26:15,020 --> 00:26:18,940
Just cut me in half because I'm so in pain.

503
00:26:18,940 --> 00:26:21,180
And you know, that's where I met you.

504
00:26:21,180 --> 00:26:23,260
Yeah, I just remember it did.

505
00:26:23,260 --> 00:26:28,260
It took about a year for me to just feel whole again.

506
00:26:28,260 --> 00:26:33,900
But the Lord was saying your expectations to me, he was saying your expectations aren't

507
00:26:33,900 --> 00:26:35,100
mine.

508
00:26:35,100 --> 00:26:38,800
I have something different for you, someone who's going to be better suited for you.

509
00:26:38,800 --> 00:26:43,780
You were trying to fit into his life, which that's not necessarily a bad thing.

510
00:26:43,780 --> 00:26:51,220
But I was trying to change myself to be what he needed, not let God bring me together with

511
00:26:51,220 --> 00:26:57,040
the man that was going to allow both of us to do what God wanted us to do separately

512
00:26:57,040 --> 00:26:58,040
and together.

513
00:26:58,040 --> 00:26:59,040
And I know what you mean.

514
00:26:59,040 --> 00:27:01,820
It took a few more years before that finally happened.

515
00:27:01,820 --> 00:27:07,780
But yeah, but you're Ron, who is great and so loving and kind.

516
00:27:07,780 --> 00:27:08,780
I agree.

517
00:27:08,780 --> 00:27:09,780
I agree.

518
00:27:09,780 --> 00:27:14,180
And I know when we were roommates, so he got to pursue you because it wasn't love at

519
00:27:14,180 --> 00:27:16,620
first sight, even with you, right?

520
00:27:16,620 --> 00:27:21,460
Yeah, I mean, I kind of had a sense that he was the one because I really had been praying

521
00:27:21,460 --> 00:27:26,300
for a man of character, somebody who just had the character of Christ.

522
00:27:26,300 --> 00:27:27,500
And I saw that in him.

523
00:27:27,500 --> 00:27:29,940
He had proven character.

524
00:27:29,940 --> 00:27:31,400
He was a widower with six kids.

525
00:27:31,400 --> 00:27:35,140
So that was a, you know, that was kind of a big stop sign unless the Lord brought you

526
00:27:35,140 --> 00:27:36,140
through.

527
00:27:36,140 --> 00:27:43,020
That wasn't something that was on my gotta have it list, you know, and then Bill, my

528
00:27:43,020 --> 00:27:44,780
husband does not have children.

529
00:27:44,780 --> 00:27:45,780
The Lord knew.

530
00:27:45,780 --> 00:27:48,900
Yeah, I got six kids overnight.

531
00:27:48,900 --> 00:27:53,420
And that brought its own refinement in me.

532
00:27:53,420 --> 00:27:56,900
But the story is your story, not mine.

533
00:27:56,900 --> 00:28:00,820
Now we've talked a little bit about it, Wendy, but through all the highs and lows, both professionally

534
00:28:00,820 --> 00:28:06,580
and personally, was there a scripture or a promise that really sustained you and grounded

535
00:28:06,580 --> 00:28:07,740
you through it all?

536
00:28:07,740 --> 00:28:13,300
I mentioned Jeremiah 29, 11 and one that I would have told you, you know, 25 years ago,

537
00:28:13,300 --> 00:28:14,820
that was my favorite scripture.

538
00:28:14,820 --> 00:28:20,700
Still a favorite scripture, but now it's now the whole Bible because the Bible is alive

539
00:28:20,700 --> 00:28:22,060
in its living and its breathing.

540
00:28:22,060 --> 00:28:24,820
And you might need a different scripture today than you needed yesterday.

541
00:28:24,820 --> 00:28:26,700
That is so good.

542
00:28:26,700 --> 00:28:32,620
I still love Psalm 37 for, you know, God will give you the desires of your heart.

543
00:28:32,620 --> 00:28:39,020
Also Proverbs three, five and six, trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not

544
00:28:39,020 --> 00:28:40,340
on your own understanding.

545
00:28:40,340 --> 00:28:45,180
When I was dating Bill and I was having sort of like trying to figure out Lord should,

546
00:28:45,180 --> 00:28:46,460
you know, am I wasting my time?

547
00:28:46,460 --> 00:28:47,460
What do I do?

548
00:28:47,460 --> 00:28:51,100
And I got in front of this car and the vanity plate said, lean not.

549
00:28:51,100 --> 00:28:53,620
And I'm like, boom, I knew what to do.

550
00:28:53,620 --> 00:28:56,820
I'm supposed to enjoy the ride and not try to figure it out.

551
00:28:56,820 --> 00:29:01,980
We want to know the end, but God's like, you know, chill, just don't try to figure this

552
00:29:01,980 --> 00:29:03,340
out right now.

553
00:29:03,340 --> 00:29:08,460
So I continued to date him and voila, now I'm happily married woman three years.

554
00:29:08,460 --> 00:29:13,340
Well, I love that, you know, as you're talking about your story, you're just conversations

555
00:29:13,340 --> 00:29:15,580
with the Lord or just a natural part of you.

556
00:29:15,580 --> 00:29:18,820
You go through your day and you're like talking with the Lord all day long.

557
00:29:18,820 --> 00:29:22,500
And that's what the Bible says to do, pray at all times and praying.

558
00:29:22,500 --> 00:29:25,940
Sometimes it is intercession where we beseech the Lord on our behalf.

559
00:29:25,940 --> 00:29:30,740
But praying is just an ongoing conversation with the Lord, which is just a natural part

560
00:29:30,740 --> 00:29:31,740
of your life.

561
00:29:31,740 --> 00:29:32,740
Exactly.

562
00:29:32,740 --> 00:29:35,900
And there are times, like you said, for the heavy prayers where you're on your knees or

563
00:29:35,900 --> 00:29:41,220
times for those intercessory times of prayer when you're on your knees and you're crying.

564
00:29:41,220 --> 00:29:44,020
And there are times like, you know, you're just in your car and you're praying and God

565
00:29:44,020 --> 00:29:45,380
answers you even then.

566
00:29:45,380 --> 00:29:50,300
Is there a woman in the Bible whose story really encouraged or inspired or brought you through

567
00:29:50,300 --> 00:29:52,940
something and how does her story connect with yours?

568
00:29:52,940 --> 00:29:53,940
I love Esther.

569
00:29:53,940 --> 00:29:58,940
I mean, we all know she was in the palace for such a time as this to save her people

570
00:29:58,940 --> 00:29:59,940
from being wiped out.

571
00:29:59,940 --> 00:30:02,260
Yeah, I also love that Esther was humble.

572
00:30:02,260 --> 00:30:05,100
She didn't expect to get by on her beauty.

573
00:30:05,100 --> 00:30:08,940
She took advice from her uncle and she was bold.

574
00:30:08,940 --> 00:30:14,600
Jodi, she, you know, he said, if I perish, I perish, but I'm going to see the king.

575
00:30:14,600 --> 00:30:16,020
She was a risk taker.

576
00:30:16,020 --> 00:30:17,020
Esther was a risk taker.

577
00:30:17,020 --> 00:30:22,060
And I know in my own life, I've had moments of being very bold and taking risks like Kilimanjaro

578
00:30:22,060 --> 00:30:26,540
and moments where I've been timid and fearful and not acted perhaps as bold as I would have

579
00:30:26,540 --> 00:30:27,540
liked to.

580
00:30:27,540 --> 00:30:32,700
And I think, you know, looking back, God rewards us when we take that step of faith, when we

581
00:30:32,700 --> 00:30:35,500
don't let fear have the final say.

582
00:30:35,500 --> 00:30:39,260
You know, God shows up and that thing we feared usually doesn't happen.

583
00:30:39,260 --> 00:30:42,500
When I was some at night on Kilimanjaro, I didn't even know where I was.

584
00:30:42,500 --> 00:30:46,060
I mean, we've been climbing for about five hours and I started seeing people coming down

585
00:30:46,060 --> 00:30:50,060
the mountain with oxygen masks and I literally froze in my tracks.

586
00:30:50,060 --> 00:30:51,620
I mean, my teeth were chattering.

587
00:30:51,620 --> 00:30:57,780
I was like kind of freaking out and I prayed and I said, Lord, you know, what do I do?

588
00:30:57,780 --> 00:31:00,540
And I didn't hear anything at first.

589
00:31:00,540 --> 00:31:02,540
I heard finished, but then I was still scared.

590
00:31:02,540 --> 00:31:06,980
And my guide, his name is Moody, he looked at me and he said, Wendy, this is where most

591
00:31:06,980 --> 00:31:08,200
people turn back.

592
00:31:08,200 --> 00:31:10,500
And that broke the fear.

593
00:31:10,500 --> 00:31:13,620
God knew I needed to hear that in that moment.

594
00:31:13,620 --> 00:31:15,300
I needed to take a risk.

595
00:31:15,300 --> 00:31:20,180
I needed because, you know, I love saying I summit at Kilimanjaro.

596
00:31:20,180 --> 00:31:24,460
I wouldn't have that privilege, you know, if I had turned back, I would have been one

597
00:31:24,460 --> 00:31:26,140
of those who turned back.

598
00:31:26,140 --> 00:31:28,060
I don't want to be one of those who turned back, Jody.

599
00:31:28,060 --> 00:31:30,460
I want to go for the summit.

600
00:31:30,460 --> 00:31:31,860
Go for the summit for God.

601
00:31:31,860 --> 00:31:32,860
Amen.

602
00:31:32,860 --> 00:31:33,860
For God.

603
00:31:33,860 --> 00:31:39,580
When I think of your story, I think of first John three, three in the voice Bible, it says,

604
00:31:39,580 --> 00:31:43,980
consider the kind extravagant love the father lavishes on us.

605
00:31:43,980 --> 00:31:45,060
He called us his children.

606
00:31:45,060 --> 00:31:46,060
It's true.

607
00:31:46,060 --> 00:31:48,540
We are his beloved children.

608
00:31:48,540 --> 00:31:54,940
And Colossians one 12 says he has enabled you to share in the inheritance that belongs

609
00:31:54,940 --> 00:31:57,580
to his people who live in the light.

610
00:31:57,580 --> 00:32:00,580
And Wendy, you have learned to live in the extravagant love of God.

611
00:32:00,580 --> 00:32:02,300
I see your stories.

612
00:32:02,300 --> 00:32:04,760
I hear about what God does in your life.

613
00:32:04,760 --> 00:32:09,980
And I think you are one who knows the extravagant love of God and how to live in that.

614
00:32:09,980 --> 00:32:11,480
The joy shows through you.

615
00:32:11,480 --> 00:32:14,460
That same love is available to you, dear listener.

616
00:32:14,460 --> 00:32:19,060
You don't have to wonder or worry that you're outside the love of God.

617
00:32:19,060 --> 00:32:21,060
It is available to you as well.

618
00:32:21,060 --> 00:32:23,740
And in a moment, Wendy's going to pray for all of us.

619
00:32:23,740 --> 00:32:28,180
We would also be honored to pray with you and help you with that choice.

620
00:32:28,180 --> 00:32:32,180
You can call or text the somebody cares 24 seven prayer line.

621
00:32:32,180 --> 00:32:37,660
That's at eight five five four five nine care or email us at prayer at somebody cares.org.

622
00:32:37,660 --> 00:32:42,620
The show notes of this episode links to Wendy's books and the scriptures can be found at her

623
00:32:42,620 --> 00:32:44,780
God story dot org.

624
00:32:44,780 --> 00:32:47,140
Hopefully you will sign up for our weekly devotions.

625
00:32:47,140 --> 00:32:49,740
You'll follow the podcast, share it with others.

626
00:32:49,740 --> 00:32:52,380
So Wendy, before we close, would you just pray for us?

627
00:32:52,380 --> 00:32:53,380
I would love to.

628
00:32:53,380 --> 00:32:55,060
And you know, Doug Stringer was somebody cares.

629
00:32:55,060 --> 00:32:58,060
He used to say, Wendy, one day you're going to meet your mountain man.

630
00:32:58,060 --> 00:33:03,020
And Bill, although he's from Virginia Beach, he's got the beard and he's very rugged and

631
00:33:03,020 --> 00:33:04,100
he's sort of like a mountain man.

632
00:33:04,100 --> 00:33:05,100
And he proposed.

633
00:33:05,100 --> 00:33:06,100
He won a mountain.

634
00:33:06,100 --> 00:33:07,100
He did.

635
00:33:07,100 --> 00:33:08,100
Yes.

636
00:33:08,100 --> 00:33:09,100
So right.

637
00:33:09,100 --> 00:33:10,100
Doug was right.

638
00:33:10,100 --> 00:33:11,100
Amen.

639
00:33:11,100 --> 00:33:12,100
Let's pray.

640
00:33:12,100 --> 00:33:13,780
Father, we just come before you right now.

641
00:33:13,780 --> 00:33:17,420
We lift up everyone listening to our conversation today.

642
00:33:17,420 --> 00:33:22,500
And God, you know that so well, God, you know them better than they know themselves.

643
00:33:22,500 --> 00:33:26,860
I pray, Lord, that you would give them the desires of their heart.

644
00:33:26,860 --> 00:33:30,420
God, Lord, that you would let them know that you have not forgotten them.

645
00:33:30,420 --> 00:33:31,540
It's not too late.

646
00:33:31,540 --> 00:33:32,940
They didn't miss it.

647
00:33:32,940 --> 00:33:39,540
We want to give them your very best in life, whether it's for a mate or a job or a house

648
00:33:39,540 --> 00:33:44,380
or a ministry or that dream that they haven't shared with anybody.

649
00:33:44,380 --> 00:33:51,860
God, you told me just yesterday, I was praying about something and you said, watch me work.

650
00:33:51,860 --> 00:33:58,060
God, you sometimes you need us to just get our hands off and you're going to do it, Lord.

651
00:33:58,060 --> 00:34:00,900
I believe that's a word for somebody listening right now.

652
00:34:00,900 --> 00:34:02,540
Watch me work.

653
00:34:02,540 --> 00:34:06,100
God, you are able and you're willing.

654
00:34:06,100 --> 00:34:08,020
And so, Lord, somebody needs a healing right now.

655
00:34:08,020 --> 00:34:10,500
I pray you would heal them.

656
00:34:10,500 --> 00:34:13,420
Perfect shalom in their body.

657
00:34:13,420 --> 00:34:18,980
And somebody who just needs to be encouraged today that you are working behind the scenes.

658
00:34:18,980 --> 00:34:21,740
And God is saying to you, watch me work.

659
00:34:21,740 --> 00:34:23,900
You are going to be amazed.

660
00:34:23,900 --> 00:34:25,900
In the name of Jesus.

661
00:34:25,900 --> 00:34:26,900
Amen.

662
00:34:26,900 --> 00:34:27,900
Amen.

663
00:34:27,900 --> 00:34:30,420
Well, thank you for joining us for this episode of Her God's Story.

664
00:34:30,420 --> 00:34:34,580
I leave you with a blessing from 1 Thessalonians 5, 23 and 24.

665
00:34:34,580 --> 00:34:38,620
Now may the God of peace make you holy in every way.

666
00:34:38,620 --> 00:34:44,260
And may your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless until our Lord Jesus Christ

667
00:34:44,260 --> 00:34:45,660
comes again.

668
00:34:45,660 --> 00:34:46,900
God will make it happen.

669
00:34:46,900 --> 00:34:49,300
For he who loves you is faithful.

670
00:34:49,300 --> 00:34:53,340
Her God's Story is a ministry of Somebody Cares America and international.

671
00:34:53,340 --> 00:35:08,220
To find out more about or support the ministry, go to somebodycares.org.