If Freedom Had A Sound
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I know you lying. I know you not just busting through these AirPods, this speaker, this car, like you ain't been gone. Like where have you been? Did you get out your system yet? Are you ready to come at me from a place of forgiveness? If this is your first time listening to the Woman Evolved podcast, you don't even know what we're talking about. But for those of you who have been wondering where I've been at, I'm going to just need y'all to just calm down, cool off.

Cool your jets. I'm actually recording this Monday, April 28th. And I wanted to create this intro because I actually recorded an episode for you all that's supposed to drop today or whenever you're listening to it. But something happened over the weekend that I felt was worthy of discussing. And I didn't want that first time that we connected for me to be holding out on you.

So you are probably so busy in your own world doing your own thing that you have no idea fully what's taking place in my life or on the socials that I have shared. And so I just wanted to share that over the weekend, my father...

to the congregation that my husband and I would be assuming the senior leadership, senior pastoral role of the Potter's House of Dallas. The formal installation is supposed to take place in July, but this was his way of announcing to the congregation what we've been working on, I guess, for the last few years. To say working sounds...

Probably a little bit more intentional than what has actually been happening because we've probably more just been feeling and discerning over the last few years, trying to hear God's voice, trying to understand his cadence, his rhythm, and I don't know, the will as it relates to

our destiny, our anointing, the Potter's House, where my dad was in his life. And it was unexpectedly emotional, to be honest. I think we've been speaking, when we speak to one another, we've kind of been talking about timing, logistics. My father will be, in two years, it would make 50 years of him preaching the gospel. And we've been in Dallas, the Potter's House, Dallas has been around for almost 30 years. And so I think

And cognitively, he knew that he wanted to set up a plan so that the Potter's house didn't just end with him. And so he's been seeking the Lord for different voices, different anointings to see what God would desire. And I think it just became increasingly clear that something special, something anointed just felt aligned with us being in that role and position.

And we've been so busy, I think, spiritualizing it, trying to make it logistically make sense, introducing ourselves to the culture of the Potter's House and the Potter's House to us, that we didn't really take any emotional toll, emotional inventory about what this would mean. And it wasn't until we were standing in front of the congregation on Sunday that the weight of the emotional toll hit all of us.

than Woman That Wore Loose, where I felt like I was the one who was drug through the mud and crying. Although I did get my ugly face cry on Sunday. My heart really just kind of... I want to say it broke for my dad, but it's not because something sad was happening. I think it was the first time that I realized...

just how much the Potter's house has meant to him. It makes sense on paper because I know that in order to build the Potter's house, that our family experienced a lot of sacrifice. And maybe I've been so blinded by...

what I thought I lost as a PK, how I felt I suffered, that I didn't realize how much the Potter's house had meant to him. And I think that's the vantage point that time gives you, the vantage point that empathy gives you. And while I don't think that it at all delegitimizes our experiences as PKs, my father couldn't be present for many of the things that were in our life because he was building this

incredible movement. He was being led by God into uncharted territory and it took everything he had to throw himself in the direction of that calling. And we as a family, I think we

picked up the pieces. We did what we could. But in that moment, I saw that you don't pour all of yourself into something. You don't sacrifice time with your family, time with your spouse, your body, and that not mean something. I thought in many ways that Woman Without Loose was a part of his life's work, and it was, and it is. But I think that he was...

That was once a year. You know, this was one when the Art Luce was a once a year conference, whereas the Potter's House, I mean, it marked our lives. It has changed our lives. And so I feel grief for my dad, right?

Because I know even when it's a good goodbye, it can still be painful. And goodbye is dramatic because I told him, you still gonna be preaching. You not fitting to leave me. You not fitting to leave us alone.

up here on Sundays, but it is an ending of an era. And so I think I was really wrapped up in the grief of that. This morning I woke up, like I said, it's the Monday after and I've never had a hangover like this. And I took 10 shots of Everclear one night after a really dark season. I have never had a hangover like this. And there was no alcohol involved. I think I woke up this morning and felt the weight of the world. Yeah.

I felt a sobriety. I felt a real humility, a pressure as it relates to what assuming this leadership role is going to look like for my husband and myself. And so I didn't want to just kick off this episode without acknowledging that. Like I said, we've been talking for the last few years about...

but it was right before Easter where my father, happy Resurrection Sunday. It was right before Resurrection Sunday. I be trying not to say Easter. You know, I grew up saying Easter, but it's Resurrection. Anyways, stay on, please stay focused. It's our first time talking in a long time and you out here rambling.

But anyway, I knew that the timing was coming. I didn't know that it would be the same week that the podcast came out. And so I wanted to share my heart with you, share my vulnerability with you. I haven't really said anything personally on social media. I've just collaborated with posts. And so it felt fitting to just share with you all that I feel a grace, a weight. I feel the weight of grace. Yeah.

I feel the weight of grace. I feel in the deepest part of my spirit ready. And in the lowest part of my humanity, like I want to hide.

And yet I say yes, and I surrender, and I go forward anyway. I love you. I'm so glad to be back. I'm going to explain my absence. You're going to hear it in just a minute. You'll hear my absence, but I'm back. I love this podcast. I love connecting with you. I love doing life with you, and I'm so sorry for the hiatus, but I'm so grateful that we get to walk this thing called life out together. Evolve. Evolve.

This is going to be the most unorthodox, out-of-the-box podcast that you've ever... No, that's not probably... That's actually probably not true because I used to do these on Facebook Live. But listen, I am back. And I know so many of you have probably been wondering, like, where have you been? What happened? Some of you probably didn't even realize that I wasn't podcasting because you've been so caught up in your world. Or maybe it's your first time listening. No matter where you are, I'm here to help you.

I want to explain a little bit about what has been happening in my world and my overall podcast journey. I recorded my last episode in December and I knew that I was going to be taking a little bit of a break. I let you all know that I was going to take a break, but y'all probably thought like, okay sis, break until January. Like we're all on break. It's winter break, but we will see you in January. I too thought January. I could not have imagined January.

that it would be this long, but there were some things that we wanted to work out on the back end of podcasting, on the technology side, partnership side, ad side, that took so much longer than even I could have expected. And though I have enjoyed some of the downtime, I miss having you guys in this outlet and this opportunity for connection. So I am so sorry.

That has been a long time. I shouldn't have left you without a hot podcast to check into, but I'm back. I'm back. I'm back. And we have some exciting interviews. I've done a lot of recording different interviews. I've got some exciting concepts and some...

exciting topics for us to explore and grow and evolve in. But I didn't want to just jump in business as usual because we haven't had an opportunity to check in. And so I figured we would take this episode and kind of check up. I didn't get to check in with you at the top of the year. I didn't get to talk about

some of my resolutions, some of the things that I'm working towards, nor did I have an opportunity to cast a vision for what I believe God is telling me about my own spiritual growth and development and how I believe it could be helpful to those who are connected to Woman Evolve. So we're going to take this time and check in. I will say that I started off the top of the year and the year didn't top properly. You know what I mean? It just...

It didn't transition the way that I thought it would. We did the holidays. I was so busy during the holidays. I just didn't get that hard reset that I am used to getting. And so I hit the top of the year doing a 45 day challenge with my friends in which we noticed I said 45, not 75, because we were not ready to do 75 hard. But we worked out every day for an hour and a half. We chose a diet. We stuck to it.

My goal was just to build muscle. I started running. I've lost a lot of weight. And so I wasn't necessarily trying to lose weight, but I do want to build muscle. I want to make sure that as much as I can have curvy muscle body, that I would like to be in that slim, thick category. And so I did a lot of lifting, trying to do body recomposition, whatever. That drained me.

The 45 day challenge drained me, but the 45 day challenge probably would not have drained me as much as if I weren't in school. So doing that challenge, doing school, and here's the real kicker. We got a dog. Now, if you know anything about me,

You got to know something. I'm not a dog person. I don't do the dog thing. We've tried the dog thing in the past. The dog thing did not work for our family. But I still be boosting because there's a part of me that's like, I want to love a dog one day. And so whenever like our kids class would send out

a text message like, hey, this dog is looking for a family. I'd screenshot it, send it to my husband, just gotta be like, we should do it, we should do it. Was I being honest? No, I was just talking gaslighting, if you will. But you can't gaslight a gaslighter because my husband surprised us with a puppy for Christmas. And I was like, okay, you know what? If we're going to do the dog thing, if we're going to try again, we cannot fail. Like this is our last shot at proving whether or not we can be a dog family. So I started writing

researching the best way to integrate a puppy into a new environment, the best way to set a schedule, the best way to house break them. I was doing all of the things. And a puppy came the beginning of January. We were waking up with him every couple of hours. I was tired during the 45 day challenge and schoolwork. It was much at the beginning of the year.

I found a schedule for the dog to help the dog sleep through the night, to learn how to hold it and sleep through the night. And I cannot tell you how the goodness of God has just followed me all the days of my life. Because that first night that the puppy slept through the night, I said, if you want to live here, just say that. Because the only thing keeping you from having permanent residency in my house would be you not allowing me to sleep and secondary, you messing up my stuff.

To my surprise, this little booger wants to live here. His name is Cabo and I'm obsessed.

It's really unfortunate because I'm the kind of person that once I decide I don't like something, I don't change my mind about it. If I say that I'm off you, I'm never on you again. I just, I'm not able to go back. And I said, I'm off canines. They're not my thing. Do I want to gaslight and play a little bit? Sure. Do I actually want to do the work? Absolutely not. Here I am

I struggle to say that I love the dog, but I do strong. He's in my office in the moment. I said that he looked up like he speak English. You know, I like him. I like him a lot. I mean, he's in my office while I'm recording this podcast. I don't want him to know that I like him and I don't want the people.

I love him. Love is a strong word. So you guys follow me as I follow Christ and as I follow puppy life and we'll just see where I land. Maybe one day I will love him.

One thing I will say is this, is that I'm also on Puppy Talk. Does that mean that I enjoy looking at future versions of how big he's going to be and learning new things about him? Yeah. Does it mean I love him? Not necessarily. Do I look at people's posts differently when they talk about...

something's happened to their dog or they've had to put their dog down. Do my eyes well up? Like, oh my gosh, I can't imagine a world in which I'd have to put our puppy down or that I would have to give our puppy away. Yeah, yeah. Do I well up a little bit? Sure. Do I like the dog? No. You understand what I'm saying? So I need you all to keep the same energy for me. When I post the dog, just remember that I'm posting the dog, not because I like them. I'm posting the dog because that's what Jesus would do, if you will. So that's a revelation that I've...

Not him. It definitely gave somebody heard me talking crazy about them. So, okay, whatever. I like the dog. That's been my number one. I think that has been my number one surprise of 2025 so far is that I am a fur mom and I like it.

The next surprise for me is that I really want to run. You guys know, if you have been listening, that I downloaded the Run app and I have been just blown away at my lung capacity, at my heart capacity. I indeed could run longer than one minute. I just needed to practice.

I'm at a stage in my run at where I graduated from one phase. I've moved on to the next where you run for 22 minutes, take a minute off and then run for 22 minutes again.

I'm ready to go into the Olympics. I'm ready to move into the next phase of my destiny. I preached, I wrote, I blogged, I've podcasted. Now is my time to get them rings. Am I going very fast? Could you please mind your business? That is not the point. The point is that I am a runner and I love running.

I love running. I love dogs and I love running. I don't know what's happening. Is this reparations? I don't understand it, but this is my life right now and I am just learning to embrace it and accept it.

That's what's been going on on the personal side. Kids are good. Husband's good. Family's good. I've been on tour with Woman Evolve. I'm actually recording this right before I head out to Raleigh and Fort Lauderdale, where we will have the conclusion of the tour. The tour has been called In Real Life, and it's been...

Really just an amazing opportunity to understand what people are up against in real life right now, what's happening in their cities, what's happening in their world, but most importantly, what's happening in their spiritual lives.

And I feel like we've put together an experience that creates space for transparency, joy, vulnerability, but ultimately encounter with the Holy Spirit. And that has been really fun to be a part of. We started in Detroit and...

I've grown since doing the tour. I've grown spiritually. We're on another fast. My husband called a fast at the top of the year. He recently called another fast.

And the tour really coincided at the same time as me really doing some deeper spiritual development, emotional development. And I'll share that with you all a little bit later, but I can see the way that the tour has grown me up in real life. And the goal of the tour was really to help people to understand that in order for us to

what's happening in our world. And by world, I mean globally, right? There's a transition taking place with AI technology, politics, technology,

There's a transition taking place. It's hard to say where we're headed. Is it going to be good? Is it going to be bad? Sometimes it feels like it could be bad. Sometimes possibly it seems like humanity is going to galvanize and things could be better. But it's hard to say and that can be very scary. But then there are other things happening in our lives. Transitions taking place that we're trying to give language to. And it's been very powerful to...

experience God and the areas of our inadequacy together. And the tour has made me... How is the tour? I want to give language to that. The tour has made me more sensitive to the voice of God, more affirmed of my role in God's plan. And it has...

revealed areas where God wants to offer me more security in my anointing and identity. And that's been a beautiful journey. So tour's been amazing. We've had some, if you've ever been to a Woman Evolve event, we try to

create an environment where people aren't just leaning into what's happening on the platform, but that they're also connecting with one another and that we're connecting with them. And so there's a point in the event where I take the time to ask them questions about what's happening. We've had some very funny answers. We've had some very funny moments. I learned how to order Philly cheesesteak in Philly and exactly where to go. I got to go to the Poppy store. I ate yuck.

And Chesapeake, which is like noodles, ketchup, soy sauce, onions, chicken, boiled eggs. It's a whole thing. And let me see where... Oh, Nashville. Oh, we talked about hot chicken and food. Is there a theme here? Wow. You can tell what's in a person's heart by what's coming out of their mouth. Because wow, I'm only talking about food. And Detroit, what's it...

Oh my goodness. And I felt like the Detroit girls really want to... What did I ask them about Detroit? Oh, at that time we weren't as food specific. And so I was asking like, what's really Detroit? Anyways, it was an incredible time. And I have a message about Mary Magdalene at the tomb that has been blessing me that I made sure some...

tidbits about we've got Hey You coming up and I'm like, should I preach this message at Hey You? Because it keeps evolving in each city. But if I don't preach it at Hey You, I'll maybe do a solo episode and share with you all some of the lessons I learned while preaching that message. So that's my catch up and I will...

I will share a little bit more about the spiritual development and what God's been showing me about my heart posture and areas of growth a little bit later. But I want to talk to you about the theme of Woman Evolve for the year. The theme of Woman Evolve is something that God really placed on my heart a few years ago that I needed to be intentional about casting vision for our content, our messages, our

our connection with women each year that we aren't just like being random. I mean, we want to give the Holy Spirit room to do whatever the Holy Spirit's going to do, but I seek the Lord and ask the Lord, like, what is it that you want us to focus on as we seek to really serve what you're doing in the lives of other women? And when I asked God this question, I was left with the word freedom.

And I think it's kind of two edged in a way. And that I think that we need to have the freedom to get downloads on the spot, the freedom to pivot on the spot, that we're not going to be locked into one specific theme. We had hope as a theme. We had revolution as a theme. But this year, I really feel like God is really allowing us to have the freedom to listen and

to be sensitive to the Holy Spirit and to give as the Lord is giving to us. And so our theme is freedom, but we don't have restrictions with freedom. So we're leaning in each quarter, each month, each day, depending on what it is we are creating to really give language and...

Relatability and context to what it means to experience freedom. So I am wondering, as we talk about living free, walking free, and thinking free, what comes to your mind? Where do you feel restriction and why do you feel restriction? Are you battling fear? Is it resources, anxiety? What's keeping you from being free?

When I think about my own life, there were some things that were happening in my heart, some experiences that I didn't realize had impacted me that were keeping me from being free. And...

oftentimes life is moving at such a rapid pace that we don't even realize we're restricted. I can remember being a kid and playing with like a rope and one person would hold one end of the rope. I would hold the other end of the rope and then I would begin spiraling in a circle. And

And that wrap would begin wrapping around my body. And the first time it wrapped, it wasn't so bad. The second time it wrapped, okay, I was a little bit more restricted. But little by little, the more that I turned, eventually I was completely restricted. And I believe that this is what happens to us when we are on autopilot in our lives, having unprocessed experiences, when we're having, I want to make up a word,

I want to say unencountered experiences. And I say unencountered because we're not bringing our experiences into our relationship with God in a way that challenges us to be more like Jesus, to invite the Holy Spirit to give us wisdom and discernment. And in those moments, we end up becoming more restricted without even realizing it. That was happening to me.

And after a season of surrender, I believe that freedom is available to us because surrender is when we're holding onto something so tightly that we can't imagine...

losing the control, losing the security connected to whatever we're holding on to. But surrender, the ultimate sign of trust in God, should then bring us to a place of freedom where we are able to say, like Paul said in Philippians, I can do all things through Christ. If freedom had a sound, what would it sound like to you?

I hear laughter. I hear joy, which I'm going to just give you a sneak peek, I guess, of one of the things that I've been preaching while on the road. And I didn't do this in every city because like I said, the Lord has really just continued to unpack the text for me as I have gone from city to city. But I

I have been preaching from Matthew 28. And in Matthew 28, Mary Magdalene is at the tomb. And when she's at the tomb, the angel of the Lord meets her there. The angel tells her, I know you're looking for Jesus. He's gone. Run, tell that. Tell the disciples that he's risen. And it says, so they went out. She was there with a group of women. And it says, so they went out quickly from the tomb, walking.

with fear and great joy and ran to bring his disciples word. And one of the things that the Lord has highlighted for me about this text is the angel tells her early on in verse five, do not be afraid. But then in verse eight, it says, so she went out quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy. And I believe that Mary mastered the art of having fear, but not being afraid. And oftentimes we have fear,

but we allow our fear to keep us from moving in the direction of obedience and what God has for us. When sometimes what we need to do is pocket that fear, strap it into the passenger seat and say, I'm still moving in the direction of my destiny. And we've heard that before, right? Like that's not necessarily a revolutionary revelation, but there was this aspect of her going out from the tomb with fear and great joy. Okay.

And if you're like me, it's a little bit easier to move with fear than it is to move with great joy. So when we talk about freedom having a sound and that sound being laughter, it doesn't mean that we don't have fear. Maybe we do have fear, but maybe we've also done the work of finding the great joy connected with that freedom.

And so I am wondering as we dig deeper into what it means to have freedom, as we dig deeper into what it means to move with obedience,

If freedom has a sound for you, does that sound like you shaking in your boots? Does it sound like crying and screaming and yelling because you're losing control? Or have you found a way to make freedom sound like joy? Not because you don't have all of those other things, but because you found the joy in your yes. And

And that is what God has been challenging me on. I have said yes to some things that are scary, that are bigger than me. And I have mastered the art of doing things afraid.

But I want to do things with joy and not just with fear. And doing things with joy means the joy of the Lord is my strength. It's a scripture we quote often. Notice it doesn't say that the joy of the Lord is my joy, although there are scriptures that talk about us having that joy. But sometimes the strength, my strength is in the fact that my obedience is

is bringing heaven joy. And if my obedience is bringing heaven joy, then maybe I can find the joy in heaven's joy and not necessarily making my joy contingent on my circumstances, contingent on my emotional state or neutralizing my joy with fear. What's your answer? If freedom has a sound, what does it sound like?

I'll take a minute and dig into this a little bit more, but you know how it is. I have been out of the office and anytime you're out of the office, you can anticipate that there is going to be a full inbox and that is exactly what we have for the Mind Your Business podcast.

box. We've got so many messages from you all just asking for perspective on things that are happening in your world. And so let's kick off our 2025 first episode with me minding somebody's business. Once again, if you want me to mind your business, I want you to give me a phone call. You can reach me at 214-790-7871. Now let's listen to this week's question.

Hi Sarah, my name is Deja. I attended the Potter's House a few years ago with my family.

Since then I've moved to Kansas City. I've had a child at 19. I'm reaching out because I just need help on knowing where to go from here. Like I mentioned before, I currently reside in Kansas City. I am currently here alone, meaning I don't have any family that lives here with me. They are out south.

Recently I've had a major change in my life. My mother figure, my grandmother, has exactly a year from the first of February. It seems like it has become a worse feeling after a year and I'm pretty afraid of the future and what's to come.

However, I know that I must be able to continue to live on. The question is, how do I do that? Being that she was the person that I confided in about everything. She was the main reason why I do pursue a relationship with the Lord to this day. Mainly just how do I keep going?

Just a little bit more information. Me and my mom are the closest, and I'm not close with most of my family. Please help. If that's not enough context, I understand. That's just where I currently am right now. Thank you for everything that you do. Your complete transparency of your life's journey. It's very appreciated for women like me

Anyway, thank you. Have a great day. I really never take it for granted that you all trust me with such vulnerable moments in your life. I am so sorry for the loss of your grandmother. Lost my grandmothers at an early age and have not had the privilege of experiencing a grandmother as I have become a woman. But often,

on the outside looking in, see women who've had that opportunity and how much it shapes them and holds them down and offers them

and a soft place to land. And I can't imagine what it's like to no longer have that safety and comfort in your life. I'll definitely be praying for you as you figure out what a new normal is. One of the things that you mentioned, and initially when I heard this question, I felt a little intimidated because grief is so nuanced, so complicated and so vulnerable that I never want to say anything that would hurt

not be delicate with such an intimate part of your heart. But you said something that I believe may add some wisdom to this process that you're going through about navigating grief. And the first thing I want to say is this, is in the years that you got to spend with your grandmother, unless there was just some

miraculous covering. I'm sure that she had to experience grief, that maybe she had to say goodbye to someone who meant something to her. And I am wondering what you gleaned or if you gleaned anything from her in those moments. How did she handle it? Maybe her heart was broken for some time. Maybe she found a way to ultimately discover

Peace in the presence of the Lord, even while she was experiencing grief. I think it's important that someone who was so critical in your life is

is also someone who can still serve your present even though they're no longer here if we take the time to reflect on the way their life was a lesson and sometimes their life was a lesson that we didn't even know that they would need until that person is gone and so I'm wondering are there any lessons about loss that you picked up from your grandmother that can serve where you are now

Did she have to keep going in the face of that grief? Did she live again, cook again, laugh again after that grief? Because I believe that that same strength, that same sensitivity, that same ability to move with an ache is something that is available to you as well.

And literally could quite possibly be in your DNA to find a way to live again after having to say a difficult goodbye. And so I would challenge you to the extent that that is appropriate to take a moment to reflect on the ways that your grandmother taught you how to live after loss.

The thing that I will say that I think is even more important than what I shared before is that it sounds like your grandmother was critical in your own development and your walk with the Lord, that she was like many grandmothers have been for many people, somewhat of a guiding light. What I will say is this.

is there comes a moment where we meet God through people. And then there's a moment where we meet the God of the person.

And while it could be very easy to feel like I lost the bridge to God or the translator or interpreter that helped me cultivate my own relationship with God, I want you to know that what you received was God. And though that bridge may be gone, that bridge does not mean that you are without access. It just means that there's nothing standing in between you and direct access now.

And I don't mean standing between as if she was a barricade, but you're next in line. If there was a sequence, if we were all standing, if God was at the front of the line and your grandmother was in front of you and we were playing the game telephone and God whispered something to your grandmother and then she whispered it to you. And if you had a question for God, she would help you. If she's no longer there, it doesn't mean that you don't have that access. It means you take one step closer.

And you begin to discover the God of your grandmother. It sounds like your grandmother was a woman of faith, so strong in her faith that she was able to be spiritual muscle and spiritual coaching for you. And now I believe is your opportunity to become a

to someone else what she was for you, which means that you're in training. Maybe you can't step fully into that, and I certainly wouldn't want you to experience that pressure. But maybe now that's the goal, is that whatever your grandmother was for you as it related to being in relationship with God, you get to be that for your children, for your children's children. And so you got to start practicing now.

How do you practice? It's not being holier than thou. I don't want to put any pressure on you to be what some would call a Bible thumper if that's not what comes naturally to you. But even this grief...

The Bible tells us that the Lord is close to the brokenhearted to say, God, my heart is breaking over this. And to recognize that God's heart is breaking a bit too, rejoicing because she's in heaven and with him, but breaking because death was never a part of his plan for humanity. And he recognizes now that

in order for there to be joy and goodness, that there's also pain and devastation. And this is the cocktail he was trying to get us to not experience, but now this is our reality. And so because we have free will, because this is the world we now live in, God says, I may not intervene on everything and I may not be able to stop,

you know, some of the poison that now exists in the world, the sin that now exists in the world. But what I can do is allow my presence to meet people no matter where they are. And the presence of God is waiting to embrace you, to hold you, to comfort you, to offer you peace, to offer you love, both in his presence and also in the presence of others that will serve as a balm as you heal. I hope that's helpful.

And if you need some recommendations for some books about just understanding the nature of Jesus, understanding the character of God, there are two books that I am constantly referring people to. And it's called Loved Beyond Reason.

And that's an exceptional way of understanding the love of God. And then I have been reading Gentle and Lowly, which is a book about Jesus and just what it means to come to Jesus, be in relationship with Jesus, who we have to be, who we don't have to be. That has helped me a lot in my own development. So I hope that that helps you as you seek to being the praying grandmother that we're going to need in about 30, 40, 50 years. So-

Get on your square, sis. We need you. One of the reasons why I think freedom can be so intimidating is that we think freedom is loud. I believe the same misconception also exists as it relates to confidence. We think that confidence is bold and loud and owns the room. And sometimes that is confidence. But then there are moments where confidence is silent. Confidence just exists in the way that we think

are sure of who we are on the inside, regardless of what's taking place outside of us or what's on us. I believe something very similar exists with freedom. Freedom is not always loud. As a matter of fact, if you ask some of my ancestors, some of them would say the only way that you could access freedom is if you were quiet. That when you were in captivity, when you've been oppressed, that you have to be quiet in order to pursue freedom. And I think that's

If freedom is not always loud and sometimes it's a quiet decision, what quiet decisions are available to you that will lead to freedom? Is it a boundary? Is it a way of thinking? I told you earlier that I would share with you some ways that I am experiencing freedom in my own spiritual growth and development. And I use that analogy about being tied up in a rope. I did not realize until about...

Well, I knew I was upset. There's a situation in my life that was upsetting me. And maybe upset's a strong word. I'll start with annoyed. It was annoying me. It was irritating me, which is a form of anger. Don't get me wrong. I understand it's a form of anger, but it started off as annoying and irritating. And then it didn't change. Then I was getting upset. Then I was getting angry. And I thought that that is about where I was keeping it. And I was a little bit upset with God. I'm gonna be honest. Cause like, Lord, get your people.

Like, it's one thing if they're not your people, but these people are telling me you're people. And these people who say that you're people don't look like you're people. I need you to get your people. And so I was angry. And then I think it took me about three weeks for me to realize, like, girl, you're not just angry, you're bitter. Like, you're getting very bitter. And I knew I was getting bitter because...

I felt like I needed to forgive that person. I'm always playing like, this is what I know. The Jesus version of me needs to do this. Come on, Eve. The Mary version of me, this is a throwback metaphor. And if you haven't been listening for a long time, Woman Evolved, oh my goodness, it's such a tangent, but I'm going to bring it back. Lord, help me remember. Woman Evolved started because Eve knew better, but didn't do better. But

God offered her an opportunity in Genesis 3, womanhood, humanity, an opportunity in Genesis 3 to ultimately go to war with the enemy. There's going to be enmity between you and the woman, but when it's all said and done, God's going to use the woman to give birth to Jesus, who will ultimately put the enemy back in his place, right? And so we know that that was a

we know or maybe don't know, that that was a foreshadowing of Mary. So there in the garden, when Eve has eaten from the fruit is Mary. Mary is the one who will carry divinity. And so when I think about the different versions of who I am, there's an Eve version who knows better, who didn't, but didn't do better. And then there's a Mary version who carries divinity, right? And so on any given day, I'm any version of Eve or Mary. The Eve version of me talked to Mary and

And Mary said, you should forgive. And Eve said, I don't want to. That's how I knew I was bitter. Because how are you not going to want to forgive? And Mary was like, but hasn't the Lord forgiven you? And Eve was like, what that got to do with me forgiving somebody? And then Mary was like, well, because if the Lord has forgiven you, you should be able to forgive others. And I was like, I'm not him.

okay, what an eye roll. And so that's when I knew I was bitter. And so I started just talking to the Lord about my bitterness. And I'm like, fine, you got me. I got a nasty attitude about this. And in my own prayer and devotion time,

I went to Romans 12 and I was thinking that I was minding my business and just like being bitter, but also diving deeper with the Lord. I'm on a fast. I'm like setting additional time to the side in order for me to be in the presence of the Lord. I opened up Romans 2 the other day. Let me tell you about y'all's God.

Romans 2 said, therefore, you are inexcusable, oh man, whoever you are who judge. For in whatever you judge another, you condemn yourself. For you who judge practice the same things. Wait a minute. Wait a minute. I'm just reading my Bible to just be a good Christian. Don't let the Bible read me. You know what I'm saying? Like it says, oh, you whoever judge. Like the Lord just really clocked my tea. And so I was like, you know what?

I really do want to be spirit led. And I'm on this tour asking for the Holy Spirit, knowing that there's a blockage in my heart. And I came to this place of forgiving because I did not want bitterness standing in the way of me being more like Jesus, of me being filled with the spirit, of me being a vessel that God can use. And I knew that I was hanging on to the bitterness because I didn't want to let someone off the hook or it just felt good to be angry. It felt like this is the only...

Punishment that they're going to get is my anger. And so my anger should be used as a weapon. And yet I could not deny that in using my unforgiveness as a weapon, that I was robbing God from the ability to protect me, to show me his faithfulness. And so I made a quiet decision to be free.

I made a quiet decision to allow myself to grow in the spirit, even if that meant dissolving in the flesh, to grow in the spirit, even if that meant allowing myself to release the bitterness and unforgiveness that was comforting me and making me feel like I still had some control over a situation that ultimately was not in my control.

And to really embrace humility and to trust that God can take care of other people better than I can. We use this sometimes when we're like, oh my gosh, I'm doing too much for people. But I want us to consider this notion of God can take care of people better than we can, even as it relates to us holding bitterness, holding people accountable with our anger or, you know,

Just punishing people and being outside of our own integrity. I have a personal mission and my personal mission is to really live a life that is led by the spirit of God, that I would be love on earth, that I would be kindness on earth, that I would be gentle and lowly and forgiving and

And that the character of God would show up in the way that I handle other people. And it's easy to do that with strangers. It's easy to do that with my children. It's easy to do that with my husband. It is not as easy to do that to people who I feel have wronged me. And so the Lord has been challenging me in that way. And that quiet decision, the moment that I made the decision, I felt lighter in my heart.

the moment I made the decision, even the mention of that person's name or the, you know, exposure to the behavior that has frustrated me in the past didn't have the same impact because the spirit really does give us strength to do things that we could not do in our own strength. And so that's been my quiet decision towards freedom. But I'm wondering what is yours?

Freedom starts in the mind because oftentimes our restraints, our oppression, our restrictions start in the mind. And so I want you to have some mental agreements where you break the notion of whatever restriction, whatever fear, whatever oppression is trying to make you believe that you would break that so that you can step into a free season and

in your mind so that you can make some decisions from your spirit. So for me, my sequence is my spirit sets the tone

In Romans 12, when it talks about not being transformed to this world, but being transformed by the renewing of your mind, he's talking to a church that has made a spiritual decision. And based off of that spiritual decision, you then have to get your mind into alignment with that decision. And that's going to take transformation. You're going to have to bring some thoughts into captivity and into the knowledge and obedience of who Jesus is.

And in the process of doing that, your mind begins to be transformed. And so there are some agreements, maybe in the spirit you want to be free, maybe in the spirit you're pursuing God, but there are some decisions you need to make in your mind. And those decisions can only come once you know your target, once you break those mental agreements.

who told you you weren't enough, who told you that you had to earn your worth, who told you that you were stuck. Those things are things that you are going to have to break mental agreements with and choose to believe what the Lord says about you, to choose to believe that maybe I'm not enough, but with God inside of me,

Greater is he that is in me. Maybe you're right, devil. I am not enough, but where I lacked his strength is made perfect in my weakness. There's a scripture in Philippians 4 and 8, and it says, and now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing, fix your thoughts on what is true and

and honorable and right and pure and lovely and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. I want you to break some mental agreements that you have in your mind and to fix your mind on things that are true. How do we know that they're true? Because they are things that heaven would smile. When you're thinking a thought, is heaven smiling or is heaven like, ciao?

That's the devil. You need to transform that. That's a little conformity going on in that mind. It's a journey. It's a process. God's always going to highlight ways that our mind can be transformed. It's our job to lean into those moments. Freedom requires walking away from what no longer fits us.

When we walk away from what no longer fits, and that may be from a relationship to a pair of jeans, child, when we walk away from it, we experience freedom. I don't know if you have ever had a pair of jeans that you kept squozing yourself into.

I've been there and done that. Squo, squo, squo. I didn't want to buy no clothes. I'm going to lose weight. And I kept squozing myself in them clothes. And then one day you say, you know what? First of all, you end up wearing leggings all the time because you want to be free. Or you end up wearing sweats all the time because you want to be free. But then one day you buy them slacks. You buy them jeans that are actually in the size that you need. And baby girl, this is what freedom feels like.

The same can be applicable in the way that we allow people to treat us, the way that we speak to other people, the way that we allow ourselves to be handled, the choices that we make. When we walk away from what no longer fits us, we experience freedom. Galatians 5 and 1 says this, it is for freedom that Christ has set us free.

He didn't set us free to be bound. He set us free to be free. Stand firm then and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery. You don't have to be tied to things. You need to be yoked up to what Jesus says about you, yoked up to what God is doing in the earth. That is true freedom. Freedom is not in money. It's not in fame. It's not in love. It's not in friendship. Those are beautiful things.

But freedom is in us pursuing the life that God has for us to know that all of heaven's resources are backing us up. So I have a challenge for you this week. I want you to journal, pray, reflect on what freedom looks like.

And then I want you to consider one mindset, one habit, or one relationship that is keeping you bound and just take one step towards freedom, a silent decision, maybe a loud one if you bet, but whatever it is, just know that freedom is your inheritance.

I'm so excited that we're back with the podcast. Thank you for your patience. Thank you for trusting me. Thank you for investing your time into this podcast. I want your feedback. It's been a while since I've done a solo episode like this, and I want to know, do you enjoy it? I am...

Really growing spiritually and I'm growing in the way that I see the word and I think hopefully translate the word. And I would love to bring you along on the journey. So maybe we have a few more like this.

Also, I want to let you know we have some things that we're working on as it relates to Woman Evolve 25. I'm still not convinced we'll be able to get everyone who wants to be in the room in the room, but I believe that there's an opportunity for us to experience what happens at Woman Evolve 25 together. Girl Evolve is open. It is.

Enrollment is open. If you have a girl in your life who you want to be a part of the Womany Bob experience, one of the things that I learned in doing this ministry is that almost all of the things that

broke our mindsets that made us have a disconnect with the Lord happened when we were younger. And so our goal is to have an intervention before the enemy can even get his plan started. And Girly Bob is our response to that. So it's during the summer. If you know a girl, plug her in. I would love to experience Jesus with you. I love you. Oh, let's pray. Lord Jesus, we

Can't imagine what freedom truly looks like without including your perspective in our lives. Otherwise, we will be praying for a limited version of freedom. And yet, because we recognize that you hold all power, all knowledge, all wisdom in your hands, we want a reflection and definition of freedom that looks like what you know.

God, as we walk this thing called life out, I pray that you would continue to expand our minds, that you would break the limits off of what we call free, that we would receive your definition and that we would receive it with joy.

Thank you for this opportunity to connect with my sisters. God, help me to be a good steward of the influence you have given me, a good steward over what you're doing in their lives, because I know how much you love them. I know how serious you are about them. And I just want to water the seeds that are inside of them. Thank you, God, for another year of the Woman Evolved podcast.

What a blessing it is that I get to do this. In Jesus' name, amen. I'll see you next week.