The Other 6 Days

Hormones & Holiness | The Other 6 Days | Episode 50

• Southwest Church • Season 3 • Episode 50

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In this special episode, we have some very special guests step in to takeover the podcast and show us how things  really get done! We have Pastor's Natalie Dawson, April Jenkins & Gigi Johnson here with us to share on various aspects of being a women... wether ministry, motherhood, the milestone moments & the mistakes. This episode is an exciting opportunity to get a different perspective as we embrace the joy, the celebration, lament as women in pursuit of a life that honors Christ.

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Speaker 1:

Hey everyone, welcome back to the other six days podcast, where we chat about life outside of Sundays and what it means to live from our gatherings, not just for them. I'm your host today, Pastor Natalie Dawson, and I'm here with my friends and fellow laborers in ministry, Miss April Jenkins and Miss Gigi Johnson, as we take over the other six days and show the boys how it's really done. I think today we're going to call it Hormones and Holiness because it's a girls takeover day.

Speaker 1:

in honor of Mother's Day, Today we're going to talk about a bunch of topics from ministry to motherhood, the milestone moments and the mistakes, all in an attempt to share a perspective from women who desire to honor Christ first in their lives. But first we're going to start by playing a little game. We're going to call it Spill the Purse. Are you guys ready? Okay, first, do you carry a big purse or a small purse?

Speaker 2:

No purse.

Speaker 1:

What you carry no purse.

Speaker 2:

Not often it stays in my car. I shouldn't say that in there. Just don't tell them what kind of car you drive.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, okay, you don't have custom plates, right.

Speaker 3:

Like me? Okay, good, everybody sees NatDog coming, stays in my car.

Speaker 2:

It's hidden, but then I just grab my keys and my phone and I go inside.

Speaker 1:

That's so interesting. That's okay, I see that in you, but I have a work bag. Is your work bag.

Speaker 2:

My work bag's full of stuff.

Speaker 1:

Okay, we can spill that. We'll spill that for sure.

Speaker 3:

Big purse or little purse.

Speaker 1:

Purse is little, but I feel like I carry a bag that has, like all the other things the mary poppins bag yeah, all right, I have all of it, just in case. Yeah, you never know what you're gonna need. All right, name three random or must-have items you carry on you at all times, but don't just name them. What do they say about you as a? As a person? Yeah, I love it.

Speaker 2:

You want to go? I mean right off the bat. I think of my trader joe's lip mask. Wait, you carry a lip mask with you it is so it is what I use in place of chapstick now, because I love it so much. Except it's upstairs in my office right now and my lips are so dry. Wait. So you just like randomly put a mask on. No, we're talking like a little canister of lip balm, but it's called a lip mask, but it's $4.99.

Speaker 1:

I'm like picturing, like you know, have you seen the lip mask? The?

Speaker 2:

lip sheet.

Speaker 1:

I'm like wow, it's like the.

Speaker 2:

Laneige. You know the Laneige, it's like that, but it's $5 at Trader Joe's.

Speaker 1:

That's a plug for Trader Joe's. This is Gigi Johnson. Give her a discount next time.

Speaker 2:

It's always in my car or in my purse or at my nightstand, all right.

Speaker 1:

So lip mask is one.

Speaker 2:

What's the other thing? Keys phone, that's it.

Speaker 1:

The essentials, yeah, keys and phone Wallet. Hopefully.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, credit cards, loose credit cards. I mean it's messy, it's wild, that is so funny knowing who you are.

Speaker 1:

I know that doesn't.

Speaker 2:

I'm shocked right now. It doesn't match. I have a wallet but it doesn't live with me. It's like loose driver's license, loose credit card, loose cash.

Speaker 1:

I know my face right now is saying a lot of things. That's awesome. Okay, people would look in your purse, and not even know Like we should play the game of like whose purse is this?

Speaker 3:

and they would definitely not know it was your purse. Yeah, all right, april three random things you keep in your um, all right thinking of lip mask, I'm going with lip gloss.

Speaker 3:

Yeah, that's a must, and it's in there because I feel like this season of life yeah, no matter if I'm dressed up like church is typically the only day that I get dressed up, but the rest of the week I'm in sweats or leggings and I feel like, no matter what I'm wearing, if I just put on a little lip gloss, I feel like I care. I'm like yes, it's your effort, I showed up.

Speaker 1:

Effortless lip gloss, yeah, so lip gloss is for sure.

Speaker 3:

in the bag I would say AirPods, because in this season. I feel like just anytime I get a break, just popping them in and I can walk around, listen to a podcast or an audible book and feel super encouraged. Turn on some music. That's awesome. Third, would be for sure, a pill case Wait.

Speaker 2:

I was just going to say that.

Speaker 1:

I was looking at you. I'm like girl.

Speaker 3:

Popping pills, yeah, oh my God, your.

Speaker 1:

EpiPen should definitely be another one, like there's been times where April was having an electric reaction. I'm like where's your EpiPen? I don't have it.

Speaker 2:

I have little like travel pill containers that have all different allergy medications and like digestive enzymes.

Speaker 3:

Yeah, guys, getting old is no joke. Speaking of holiness, the Lord shifts things as we get older and I'm learning that, so that travels with me in all the bags I love it, and they make the cutest ones now, like I just love them oh yeah super cute.

Speaker 1:

I like now have a collection of pill candy which is ridiculous.

Speaker 2:

This morning on the way to work I asked my husband to look into this like hormone balancing beef liver organ pill. That comes with this really cute jar. I'm totally sold on the jar. I didn't tell him about the jar.

Speaker 3:

I was like can you look into it? You only wanted to think but the jar is so cute. Yeah, it's amazing how women can do that. Yeah, but I think it'll help. I think it'll help, I mean I haven't been on.

Speaker 1:

It will help, for sure. The jar will make you feel no, I makes. I meant the organs with the jar, maybe I don't know. I've tried everything uh, I know that I've been off a tiktok since, oh gosh, since january, when we did our 20 to one day fast and I didn't bring tiktok back and I know they're losing money on me because I would buy natalie was the biggest.

Speaker 3:

They're actually trying to figure out how to get natalie back.

Speaker 1:

They're trying to get me back, like they send me notes to my house via carrier pigeon.

Speaker 3:

Like please come back to me, natalie because I have everything.

Speaker 1:

I have the chin, I mean everything that you could think of to make you feel and look younger. I would buy the jar of beef liver, so for sure. All right, let's give a quick introduction of who you are. I'm Natalie Dawson. I get to host, so I'm playing CJ today and I'm executive pastor here. Mom of four, I have a 25-year-old son, bradley, a 23-year-old daughter, mckenna Lexi, who's 16, and Dax is 14. I also have a daughter-in-law, jordan, and a son-in-law, hunter, and so just in like a cool season of motherhood and work and, you know, just waiting for grandbabies.

Speaker 3:

So that's what we're doing over in my house.

Speaker 1:

No pressure, All right April, why?

Speaker 3:

don't you introduce who you are so fun. Yes, I'm April and I have the privilege of just partnering with Ricky in the ministry at the church and, yeah, making sure that he feels like he's supported and loved and same with leadership team, whatever that looks like. So in this season we have three littles who are just kind of coming out of the little season. We have a 10-year-old, an 8-year-old and a 6-year-old and, yeah, we're running all over baseball and all the sports getting things figured out and, yeah, in the middle of um, a shift to the next season where they can do things on their own but still need you around. So it's a fun, a fun, busy season. Are you a little?

Speaker 1:

nervous about having a middle schooler next year? Are you a little yeah? Is yeah no?

Speaker 3:

yeah, and not even nervous. He's such a great kid, but he definitely is already given middle school vibes. Yeah, it's a thing I'm anticipating. He's there. Yeah, he's got a lot of personality and the Lord is going to use it. I have to keep reminding myself of that like that. He could be the president. He could be the next best thing.

Speaker 1:

For sure I just can't. He's the president. Before he makes it there, just pray that over him. Pray that over him Awesome. All right, gigi, tell us a little bit about you All right.

Speaker 2:

Well, I'm Gigi Johnson and I am the Women's Discipleship Director here at Southwest. And funny story, I can never say that title. Well, I always stumble my words on that.

Speaker 1:

Women's Discipleship Director.

Speaker 2:

You do have like 14 titles it's a lot and it doesn't roll off the tongue so I constantly have to say it in my head before I like go tell people.

Speaker 1:

Let's come up with a new name for you. Let's come up with a new title for you today on this podcast.

Speaker 3:

She's like sure Okay, let's go, let's do that, we'll see what rolls off the tongue.

Speaker 1:

Well, Ashley, can you guys please send your suggestions?

Speaker 2:

Yes, let's get this. I need something that flows that I don't have to think twice about.

Speaker 1:

Queen of women's ministry.

Speaker 2:

No, no, married to Josh. We've been married 16, 17, 16 years 16.

Speaker 2:

We have a 14-year-old daughter, peyton, and a 9-year-old son, carter. You said it really well, just like balancing life and ministry. Also, just having moved here less than a year ago, we're still just trying to figure out what life looks like, but we like it, we like this life that the Lord has led us to. But yeah, I just, I love being a wife, I love being a mom and I love what I do with women too. But it's just a funny story, because I never in a million years would have imagined myself in ministry, let alone women's ministry, growing up a tomboy and you know just.

Speaker 1:

I don't yeah, there it is you see it? You see glimpses of it the evidence is all over.

Speaker 2:

You just haven't been looking. I fooled you with the long curly hair, so, um, anyway, I just chuckle all the time, but it's God's plan, not mine, and it's it's going great.

Speaker 1:

We're glad to have you, you're really doing a great job. We love we love having you here in women's ministry.

Speaker 2:

Awesome to be here.

Speaker 1:

All right, you guys ready for your first question? Yes, all right. So we're an intergenerational church here at Southwest. It's one of our value statements that we say each and every week, and so we want to really reach women of all ages, stages and season of life young, old, married, divorced, widowed, single, working, stay at home and it comes with its joys, but it also comes with its challenges, for sure, and I know that in this season it's been a sweet season to walk in the room and see the shift starting to happen. And it takes a while right to see that shift, but it's happening. So speak to those a little bit like what are some of the joys and then what are some of the challenges of an intergenerational and April, actually, you've been here for a while so you've seen that shift because it really came in with you and Ricky's heart. So in women's ministry specifically, what are some of the joys and what are some of the challenges you've seen?

Speaker 3:

Yeah, I love it. We came from an area that was so infiltrated with discipleship, and so you really get to see that when you bring in intergenerational, you're getting to see older pouring into younger and then even the younger generation getting the feel for it and getting to see that that is something that then they need to be doing. So whether it's younger as in a few years, younger than the lady who's pouring into you, or you're, you know, seasons younger at any time, you need to be having somebody pouring into you and then somebody that you're pouring into, and so when you get an intergenerational church, it makes that so obvious. It just takes some of the hesitation and the guesswork out of it. You're just getting to see it. There's these older women that I can see right in front of me, that I can admire their walk with the Lord, and I can long for my walk to look like that, and I can pursue them and say, hey, can I meet with you? Will you pour into my life? And so coming out here was such a gift because we had come from a culture where that was already set up, but it was a very intentional setup and there wasn't a ton of older women in the church and so, moving out here, there was a ton of older women in the church where they have lived more life than me. They do have more wisdom and more experience, just by natural season of they've lived longer life than me. Even if they haven't walked with the Lord for their entire life, they have experienced more than I have, and so that has been something that's been really sweet is just to get to just see right away. There's so many women and they love the Lord and they're here, they're being intentional to pour into or be poured into, and so if we're seeking that out, we can see. So that's one of the biggest things that we've seen is just a shift.

Speaker 3:

When we got here, there wasn't a ton of older and younger that were meshing together, and so that's been something that has been really sweet to get to see over the years. As we say, you're never too young to start and you're never too old to stop. We really think, man, if we're teaching them that, let's show them that and let's get this involved. So one of the easiest ways that I got to see it was being a part of the women's, the mom's ministry. I did that for a few years and realized, ok, the Lord is kind of calling me out of this season. My kids aren't toddlers anymore Not that that's the only time that you can be in the mom's ministry, but my season was changing.

Speaker 3:

And so just asking the Lord, what does this look like? Moving forward, and so seeing that there was right across the hallway, the same exact time, a women's Bible study, and at the women's Bible study I would say the average age in that room was 75. And there were no young women. I think one of our good friends was the only person who was under the age of 45. And so just desiring, like, okay, what does it look like for us to bring some of these young moms over and plug in with these older women who have been there before? They've had toddlers and they made it. Look, they're living and they still love Jesus. Toddlers, and they made it. Look, they're living and they still love Jesus, and most of their kids are still alive. I'm just kidding.

Speaker 3:

So I just I loved getting to switch over and come over to their side and just try to encourage some of the younger women to come over. But it's been. It's been a long journey. I mean, we've been here for seven years and just now we were looking at the room on Tuesday mornings and now we can say there's probably 20 percent younger women, 25 percent, and so you're getting to see a slow shift, but it's. It is such a beautiful thing to get to see older and younger worshiping together and learning and growing together and rubbing shoulders, and so it's so good Gigi what, what intentional things are you doing to really help diversify the voices?

Speaker 1:

at the table, so like as you're a leader over a women's ministry, you know, and you have two, you have three groups that meet on Tuesday, you have Tuesday morning, you have moms and you have Tuesday night, and Tuesday morning and Tuesday night are about as opposite as it gets, even in how they show up, because it's working. Right, it's typically working, but it's a it's your middle age demographic that usually shows up in that room yeah and yeah, I would say that I would.

Speaker 2:

I would also say that when I look at the two spaces, they're not quite as different as as people might think, and I think that's just something that might be happening more recently too. I'm seeing the morning group, you know get a little bit younger, grow younger.

Speaker 2:

The evening group is a nice spread. You know we are encouraging people to be at intergenerational tables, but we're also supporting that some people want to do life on life together and that's naturally done when you're living in a, when you're walking life out with other people in similar seasons. So we want to respect that but also challenge people to think bigger. You know, natalie, one of my favorite things to think about when I think of an intergenerational church is actually your daughter.

Speaker 2:

When I got to know Kenna, when I first got here, I would watch her and she would walk up to you know Kenna's in her early 20s. She'd walk up to a young girl that she was mentoring and hey, so-and-so, and then she would walk up to a 65, 75-year-old woman on her guest services team who was volunteering for her. With the same energy and the same interaction. And I actually looked at Kenna and I've told this to Kenna.

Speaker 2:

I said this is one of the reasons I'm so excited my family's here, because our kids are going to grow up in an intergenerational church and if they come out, anything like you, where you can talk to a 75 year old woman or a 17 year old woman and just respect them the same and look to them and pour out and receive from that is going to be so beautiful.

Speaker 2:

So we do want to challenge the women to do that, to be asking older women to pour into them or women that have gone ahead of them in the faith offering to pour into other people. And I love what you guys say about not believing that you're ever too old for it or too young for it. You know, I think it's so easy these days to feel like everything you need you can get on the internet, especially, you know the young mom out there when you think of the mom's ministry, but the young woman too, or the woman new to her faith, and to have an actual human pouring into you. That's gotten to know you, week after week at this table, that ultimately you eventually go out to coffee or you eventually go for a walk or you eventually just spend a few extra minutes together on a Tuesday morning. That's the stuff that's going to. You know it's rubber meets the road in those spaces right there.

Speaker 1:

I love it, I love it. I walked into a room on Tuesday night I don't know, I think it was the very first week of this session and there was a woman sitting at a table with a bunch of younger ladies and I've known this woman for a long time. She was very active in women's ministry and then she had taken a break because her husband was ill and she was taking care of her husband. He went home to be with the Lord and she went through Rooted and she was sitting in the room and I saw her and she was at a room, number one. She was at Tuesday night, not Tuesday morning, which like threw me already for a loop, so I like, walked up to her and I'm like what in the world are you doing at Tuesday night?

Speaker 1:

This is so awesome to see you here. And she went on to tell me that this was her rooted group I, and it's a bunch of young girls like the the diversity in this group. I literally left the room and wept because I've been on staff for 11 years and when I first came on staff, um, it was a little challenging. I was younger and, like, um, it was just tricky to do the intergenerational thing. It wasn't as acceptable, accepted.

Speaker 1:

I should say Um. And 11 years later to walk in the room and like see the Lord using this woman in such a mighty way, like I literally wept when I left the room.

Speaker 1:

I was like that was shocking to me to see, um, and I don't know why the Lord is so faithful and like he's so good, and so it was just a beautiful thing. So I just want to celebrate both of you. You're doing such a great job of encouraging those spaces and making both of the spaces seem more more alike than different, so that people can feel comfortable in those spaces. I'm really excited yeah.

Speaker 2:

And I'm so grateful for the way you guys have paved the way for that and that. That has been important to you. It's important to me too, even before getting here, and so I value it a ton.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, so thank you guys. All right, crushing it and missing it. What is an area you could celebrate where you see women crushing it currently? What are women doing and crushing it in?

Speaker 2:

Gosh, I just want to say I am so proud of them on this journey through the Bible in a year. I mean, you know, I'm praying, I'm like Lord, is this what we do this year? And I just have to go into it, being like, hey, we might all fall off the wagon together or we might actually do this. I don't know, but the Lord's calling us to do it. So let's go. And so to be here in May and to see women are you know, they miss a day here or there, they miss a week. Some of them have just started last week. But there is an energy and excitement, a devotion, word of God, and to understand that what the word of God says about God is the most true thing about God than anything else we can ever come up with or or, um, you know, put together in our own minds. So it's just really exciting and I think our, our women, are crushing it in that space and, you know, even those that are are struggling with the reading plan.

Speaker 2:

It's a lot, guys, it's a lot, it's a lot for our leaders, it's a lot for our women but we just keep cheering each other on, and even those that are still struggling with it even, uh, even the way that you know those that are still struggling, they they get back on and they read it for that day and they just say Lord, I trust you to speak to me through this some way. Somehow Show me something about you today. And he is faithful. He's really faithful. So I'm excited that we're doing this, that we're doing it together. I'm super proud of them. I think they're crushing it.

Speaker 1:

We're crushing it. I love your holiness. I was going to say that women are crushing it at the TikTok dances, so you are definitely more holy than me.

Speaker 3:

And you haven't even been on TikTok lately.

Speaker 1:

No shopping and no dance routine.

Speaker 2:

Okay, so you're saying, like culturally speaking, no, no, no.

Speaker 3:

Holiness, always holiness. Natalie will veer us away and we have to bring it back. You're saying good, or?

Speaker 1:

holy ministry. We're saying good or holy, All right, April, April. Where are women crushing it?

Speaker 3:

Okay, it's so funny, gigi, and this is also a shout out to you, I would say the same thing. I would say just the women and their love for the word. It is um, a lot of the women, especially thinking through Tuesday morning. They, they loved the word, but they more so loved being led in the word. And now we're just getting to see, man, they're just getting in the Word, reading the Word and loving it and being faithful to continue to do it, even when they don't totally understand what's going on.

Speaker 3:

And some of the stories just don't make as much sense as others, and so I would say that has been so sweet to see. I think of a story a couple of weeks ago where somebody was like I haven't got to listen to the recap, but I did read the Bible and it was so good, like I'm loving this recap. I'm like, no, you're loving the Bible, you're loving the Bible, you're diving in and the Lord is so faithful to not return void, like he is filling you up. So, even without the recap, like he's using it, and so that's been awesome.

Speaker 3:

Another area that I would say crushing it is, I feel like the culture here is women are becoming more vulnerable and it's slowly happening. But just seeing it in the mom's ministry and hearing some of the moms who have never asked for prayer before coming forward and like saying, hey, can you pray over me? This is what's going on. Or even in our in the mom's ministry and hearing some of the moms who have never asked for prayer before coming forward and like saying, hey, can you pray over me? This is what's going on. Or even in our little Tuesday morning group, um, some of the women just sharing stories where their hearts are broken and they're just at a place of vulnerability, and I think that happens with being consistent and showing them that you care, and so there definitely is a movement happening right now where they're feeling loved and cared for, and I think part of that is because of you, gigi, your heart and just the faithfulness and consistency of having somebody that they know is leading and guiding the vision.

Speaker 2:

It's an honor. Thank you, guys.

Speaker 1:

That intergenerational ministry will do that for you too, because there is an entire generation that would say it was culturally unacceptable for them to be vulnerable and so intergenerational. Actually, when you put the young, like when you put them together, us younger people will say the most everything like we, we, we all tell anything at a table, and sometimes the women are so shocked. But they'll hear you and they'll be like yeah, me too and I'm like what you know? You understand this. I would have never thought that. So I think that's the beauty of intergenerational, that's a great point so what are some areas that you think women are missing great opportunities?

Speaker 1:

I know that's a hard one to answer.

Speaker 2:

You know, I mean and this I might just be speaking for myself but man, we're so busy, we take on so much, I think we just naturally miss the opportunity to be present, to not just let things fly by, seasons of life, moments and relationships, even just resting, and relationships, even just resting, being still before the Lord, whether that is like intentional my body just needs rest or like my soul needs to be sitting with the Lord right now. I think that in our busy culture, in our I don't know for me, I struggle with the desire to be busy. That's when I feel valuable getting stuff done.

Speaker 2:

I'm crossing things off a list and so, um, but man, there is there's. The other side of being busy is just we're missing opportunities to really just appreciate what God is doing in our lives and how he's being faithful and how he's, um, just blessed us so much, or or, or just bless us with his presence, even if it's in a really hard season. Yeah, that's good.

Speaker 3:

Yeah, I love that.

Speaker 3:

I love that we had Jim Burns come and do that talk and I feel, like it was so good to be reminded of Sabbath rest and putting priorities in their right place, and I think, just culturally, we think that the more we do and the more successful that we are at doing those things, whether it's getting our kids to practice or to the game, and they have to be on a winning team and they have to show up well, but you're running around and doing all of these things when in reality, revisiting what the priorities are and then putting them in the right place I think is is countercultural and so, yeah, it's hard to miss sports and activities, and it's just changed, even from when we were kids.

Speaker 3:

Yeah. The pressure and the amount of practices yeah.

Speaker 1:

Like even I grounded one of my kids and one of the grounding was we took away their weekend sport for them. And I just remember sitting with my husband outside saying like so are we going to do this?

Speaker 1:

Like we're going to pull her from her, and he was like yes, and I just remember feeling so much shame, like I know she has responsibility and she's, but like the punishment needed to match what she had done. And so for us we were like no, that's the thing, that's going to be the biggest deal. But I think as parents we do that a lot now. My parents would have pulled me in 2.5 seconds when I was a kid and felt no way about it.

Speaker 1:

Oh yeah, but there's so many practices, so many things, so what is in the opposite of that? So you're saying that busyness is one of the things that, as women, we're really, you know, missing the moments to sit in Sabbath. What does Sabbath look like for both of you, and are you?

Speaker 2:

intentional with it. I'm working on being intentional with it. I've learned more and more and understood more and more the value of it in the past few years. Also, my body is like you must Sabbath Child that's your hormones.

Speaker 3:

That's my hormones. You have to run it through like a filter sometimes.

Speaker 1:

Like is this hormones?

Speaker 3:

or holiness.

Speaker 1:

Is this a holy anger Um?

Speaker 2:

but that said, you know I've, I've definitely challenged myself like man. Is this a Messiah complex I have here, when I'm trying to do all the things all the time and I don't slow down and let God be God? And so I am trying to be more intentional about it. For me I've, you know it it looks like sitting on my couch. I have friends that will sit on the couch all day and they are happy. When I sit on my couch I usually feel guilty that I'm not doing something. So for me to choose to sit on the couch all day and they are, happy.

Speaker 2:

When I sit on my couch, I usually feel guilty that I'm not doing something. So for me to choose to sit on the couch means I'm either going to be spending time with someone, or I'm spending time with the Lord, or maybe closing my eyes for five minutes and just trusting it's all going to be okay. Maybe I'm reading a book. So sitting on my couch is what Sabbath looks like in this season, and sometimes it's small doses. It's not 24 hours, girls, that's not happening for 24 hours, but it's enough to be like. I think I have to do all those things, but I know that I can sit here and just be still.

Speaker 1:

I went to a women's XP gathering in September and they had a counselor come in and talk to us just about Sabbath and one of the things she said that helped me, because I felt like I had turned Sabbath into this thing, like I, you either did 24 hours and you were killing it or you were failing, and I was just like I'm never going to be the human who can do that. I'm like the most ADHD person in the world. And she said start small. What if it was two hours of not checking social media, not checking your work emails and your slacks, not checking your phone for two hours? Could you do two hours?

Speaker 1:

and it's been the most freeing thing for me awesome on my day off, on monday, when the kids are at school, to say where is my two hours that I can schedule to read a book or just sit or just be like, just be, so that I can have my cup filled, so it doesn't have to be 24 hours.

Speaker 3:

I think there's like.

Speaker 1:

But there is, I think you can work up to it.

Speaker 3:

Yeah, ricky, and I would say Sabbath moments. And so he'd be like where's your Sabbath moment this week? And I feel like you know, as culture says we need to be doing more and more, things shift. But then I feel like truly understanding biblically what Sabbath is is so much more important, like it's a place of rest and worship, like to bring us back to worship of the Lord and remove us from the busyness that is life and everything else. And so actually we had our staff read, maybe two years ago, john Mark Comer's Ruthless Elimination of Hurry and it shifted my paradigm. Mark Homer's Ruthless Elimination of Hurry and it shifted my paradigm. Like I was different after reading that book because as an Enneagram three, I'm like tell me what to do and I'm trying to win. And so if that means like it's having carrying all these plates and doing all the things, like yes, please, I got it, I'm going to do it as best as I can.

Speaker 1:

You never want to be on my team. I know you cannot.

Speaker 2:

do not draft Natalie, for whatever you're doing, do not draft her, unless it's holiness, if you want a gold medal.

Speaker 3:

You do not have her on the team, no. But so I feel like the book was so helpful in bringing me back to scripture and what biblical Sabbath looks like, and so it just helped me in those Sabbath moments, like prioritizing them and setting them intentionally into the schedule, not just saying, ok, friday morning is an open morning and so I can have a Sabbath, but like, no, I'm fighting for that Friday morning is set aside for Sabbath. And then what are the things that are restful and bring me back to worship the Lord? And so for me that looks like walks and listening to podcasts or listening to worship music. That looks like going and sitting in a spa and not having a treatment, but sitting in a place that feels quiet and serene and where I can just sit and be still with the Lord, where at home I can't do that.

Speaker 2:

I cannot do that at my house when my kids have toys everywhere.

Speaker 3:

They've dropped their pants, underwear, socks, shoes. Like what happened? Did the rapture happen and your clothes got left? Like why?

Speaker 2:

is it all there?

Speaker 3:

And if it was, why couldn't it be biblical?

Speaker 1:

Like when Jesus he folded his clothes when he left the tomb.

Speaker 3:

So I'm like I'm learning, like I have to be intentional, and what that means is like finding the places that bring me back to a place of worship. So, and for mamas, it is a season where you do need physical rest too, and so that can be taking a nap or whatever it is. But for me, again, I'm realizing, like I have to know, as seasons shift, what that looks like, like it doesn't accidentally happen, we're not accidentally growing. If we're not growing, we're going backwards.

Speaker 3:

And so same with Sabbath, like if I'm not intentionally planning it and setting that aside, and then it's going backwards.

Speaker 1:

So true, that's good. All right, ladies. So traditional leadership roles for women have changed drastically in society, business, ministry and marriage. What does it look like to navigate, being a strong, bold and confident female but yet maintaining Christ-like characteristics? It's a tricky one, so there's like trendy femininity stuff right and then there's godly biblical womanhood, and what does that look like?

Speaker 2:

Gosh, that's. I'm pretty old fashioned when it comes to this stuff, just in the sense that, like I want my husband I mean we all do we all want our husbands to be the leaders. I think I strive to let him be husbands to be the leaders. I think I strive to let him be. I've seen a lot of women try to become the leader and I realize sometimes that's because they feel like their husband isn't doing a great job in that. So okay, let me do it. You're not going to do it, let me do it and I will purposely step back and really try to let him lead. I know biblically we want to like it's a fight for this position because of the curse, and it's like no, no, no, I really want to let you lead. So I just really I respect men as they're leading. I want to be led by my husband. But I also realized God made me with specific gifts and talents and abilities and to really fill specific roles and I want to do that and I want to do that well.

Speaker 2:

And I want to do that as Christlike as I can, and there is no excuse out of it. But I'm an Enneagram one, right? So I'm like I'm going to do this and I'm going to do it well. But then I tend to beat myself up about it too when I don't lead as Christ-like as I'd like to, and that's where it just all goes back to abiding in Christ, letting him teach me how to live and love and lead. I love it. So good, that's good.

Speaker 3:

There's so many different ways that you can go about this. I feel like there's the marriage piece. There's that in the church world there's so many different things, and I think when God gives you a gift, it's the whole body is needed right, and so if you're not using your gift like you're the elbow, the arm can't function the way that it needs to. So I think there's that piece where it's like you, you're the elbow, the arm can't function the way that it needs to. So I think there's that piece where it's like you, you use the gifts that God gave you. So knowing the gifts that God gave you and then and feeling confident in them is a huge thing, and then giving those things. And outside of that, then I would say, then there's a whole nother level of um leading and submitting, and I would say Ephesians 5, 22, I think, is what it is.

Speaker 3:

Wives submit to your husbands, but in the same way, that doesn't mean that you're a doormat, that doesn't mean that you can't have a voice, that doesn't mean all the things, and that's what the culture now is saying, like no, I don't need to be led, I don't need to. I am a strong personality too, and I hear women tell me that all the time, as we would say like, okay, what does it look like to love your husband? Well, biblically, ephesians 5 is telling us respect your husband. That is what it can tangibly look like. And women tell me all the time like, no, I'm the one that needs respect, he needs to be loved, and I'm like that's not biblical, that's not, and it doesn't mean I want to be respected, I really do, and so I think making sure, yes, and the way that that plays out and the way that that plays out, he feels so loved.

Speaker 3:

If I can tell him I respect you, I see the way that you're leading, that's incredible. The way that that fills his love tank is so much more than me saying I love you, like he's like okay, great, that's awesome, you know, but for a woman, we, we need things. We're just wired so differently. So I think, knowing the gifts that God has given you and feeling confident in them and walking in those, but then also like making sure it aligns biblically like scripture is pretty clear. I feel like um, for us to be able to look at, for guidelines, to be able to say like, okay, what is my role in my marriage? It doesn't mean I don't get respected, but it does mean that my primary way of loving is that or in friendship, how can I show up? So I think, just making sure we have that biblical reference to kind of lead us and then from there, using the gifts that we, that we have, and and owning and owning them yeah, that's so good.

Speaker 1:

Um, it does look it and it traditional leadership has changed. I think, whether you were looking at marriage or you were looking and I think society would say it's changed a marriage and it really hasn't, if you're following a biblical mandate on what marriage looks, like I think the reality is. The cool thing about Ephesians 5 is, yes, it says women submit to your husband, but it says, as he right, like I'm, like his, his responsibility to the church and the Lord is way harder.

Speaker 3:

So it's a hundred percent and it's as Christ did so, it's all we're doing is still imitating Christ, and so if we could imitate Christ. I mean, it sounds so easy. Yeah, I know seriously.

Speaker 2:

You just gotta imitate Christ. Come on, ladies. What would Jesus do? Put your bracelet on.

Speaker 1:

I think it's in church for sure, in the leadership demographic. It's a trickier navigation, probably, of what does it look like to be a woman in the church?

Speaker 3:

And it's sweet Women's ministry, it's an accepted yes, when I was women's ministry director, it was like oh yes, that's exactly where you belong. Of course you are, yeah.

Speaker 1:

And then you know, it changed depending on what my role was Operations. Of course you are yeah, and then you know it changed depending on what my role was operations it was, I still would step into a room full of ninety nine percent male counterparts in that, in that demographic.

Speaker 1:

And then, when I moved into my role, for sure, the numbers just dwindled, even more for females that are in this role, and what I love about Ricky and April's leadership is that they have just you guys have been just such a beacon of hope and light in the church to say like yeah, you're the elbow, like we need you, Like you're a valuable part of the body of Christ, so come and use your gifts and your strengths.

Speaker 1:

And whether you are a man or a woman, if you're called to lead and the Lord is doing something in your life like we're going to support that and so it's such a sweet place to be. People ask me all the time and I'm like, even if we get like a couple nasty emails in a month that are talking about me and my role, like it doesn't compare to just keeping your eyes on the Lord and just being more Christlike and man. He tells us to turn the other cheek and so we got to do that even in that, but I do feel like it's not a it's not a bad thing to be a submissive wife and it's not a bad thing to lead as a woman and bring different gifts and strengths to the table than men do, and men bring beautiful strengths and gifts to the table that we don't bring.

Speaker 1:

And so there's just this sweet thing that happens when we can do this right and do this well, and that there's not intimidation and there's not um. You know, it's just beautiful, and I would say southwest really does a great job of holding it it is, it's a balance attention.

Speaker 3:

Yeah, it's definitely attention.

Speaker 1:

There's different things you have to do when you're a woman in leadership, but it's sweet and so I think that's really fun.

Speaker 3:

That was great unpacking yeah, I think to not with you. That's a perfect example of just like owning it For you. You're a woman and you're in the leadership, but you own it. So you make it easy for us to say, no, this is her job, she is the elbow. Like this is the gift that she has. And because you show that gift and you own that gift, we're better because of it.

Speaker 3:

And so I think it's a perfect example of learning what you're gifted at and saying, like, okay, this is a gift that God has given and I'm going to step into it. And then you're confident. When you get a couple nasty emails, you're like this is a God-given gift, like this is how he has wired me. I'm not now, I'm not shying away from it when there's any criticism or feedback that doesn't feel the same. Instead, I can walk in that confidence like this is what God has called me to. And so I think that's another reason why you have to be just so confident that this is who I am and this is how God has wired me and what he's asking me to give to the body of Christ.

Speaker 2:

I think that's where that idea of being called by God to it really makes such a difference because when those emails come and when the questions pop up, if you can go no, I sought the Lord for this. He was clear. I was called to this. You just keep going you know, because those, those questions can come up, but it's like I remember the day you called me.

Speaker 1:

Lord.

Speaker 2:

So I will keep going.

Speaker 1:

Which is why we say calling is so important.

Speaker 2:

And whatever you're doing right.

Speaker 1:

We're called to motherhood, we're called to our marriage, we're called to work because on the hard days I know that I can lean into the Lord and say, like all right, the bush burned, the bush burned.

Speaker 3:

Yeah, like we saw that bush burn, like we knew it, we heard from the Lord. It was so clear, and so I'm going to cling to that moment of like. That was the Lord making it so clear. Yeah, it's so true.

Speaker 1:

I know for me and for actually both of you too we just have such supportive and encouraging husbands.

Speaker 1:

So the reality is like at the end of the day, sean loves me and shows up so well for me and supports me in whatever endeavor I'm taking on, and I see that in both of your husbands too, so it almost makes it easy. I recognize that not everyone's in the same season as we are as women Like, and some I there's women probably listening to this who are like, yeah, but my husband is difficult, difficult and doesn't love me and doesn't so like I get it and I have deep empathy for that as well to say for that as well, to say, like we're not sitting here saying that we're the experts in this, like absolutely it really is.

Speaker 1:

We have. We have sensitivity to that to recognize that not everyone's in the same season as us, right? But what I do know is the lord sees you, he's with you, and just continue to be faithful to the lord, because I've seen the lord redeem and restore a lot of situations that the enemy just meant for bad, even in in my own life. I can confidently stand and say that man, we serve a father. You know like the father loves us and sees you and has the heart to just be with you.

Speaker 1:

So all right, if you guys we're going to give the men some advice. So now, now we get to give the men some advice. So that was a talking to our women and what it looks like to be Christlike. What is something that we could share that would encourage or challenge men Like? Offer some secret insights into what is one of the biggest areas or opportunities, you see, where men could show up better in society relationship, roles and their faith.

Speaker 3:

Are you guys taking out your checklists? I'm like, whose husbands are listening to this? Yours? Yeah, ricky Jenkins.

Speaker 2:

I'll pass on this one, oh secret insights.

Speaker 1:

So so, gigi, your husband's a men's director and pastor here at Southwest, so what are some things that I mean, like, is he even pursues the men of our Valley?

Speaker 2:

what are some?

Speaker 1:

things that we're saying like hey guys, we need you to show up this way.

Speaker 2:

Totally, totally, um. So he, he has clung to this concept and I believe in it wholeheartedly that men become men in the company of men. In other words, like, listen, the the healthiest version of yourself as a man is not going to happen until you surround yourself with other men and you're honest and you're authentic and you're seeking the Lord together. And you know he runs this group on Tuesday nights where these men are growing spiritually, relationally and emotionally, and this is a program that helped him.

Speaker 2:

10 years ago my husband was this amazing husband. We had a young child and you know I thought he was, he was this great guy and he was. He was, don't get me wrong but he went through this, this growing, healthy course, and he came out the other end two years later and I was like I'm blessed by what you just went and did for the last two years. Our daughter and our son are blessed by what you just spent the last two years doing Getting into a group, being honest and authentic with one another and really growing intentionally in those ways, and to be able to look at your husband and say thank you for investing in yourself that way, in a way that's going to impact our family and our community and your workplaces and our church for decades. It was really a trajectory changer for our family, a trajectory changer for our family. So I, I think that's you know.

Speaker 2:

Obviously, women have no problem coming together and chatting about things, and even you look at it in Bible study signups and women are like, oh, bible study, let's go it. Just it's part of their social makeup as well. Men are like are you kidding? We have to sit in a circle and talk about the Bible and our feelings? Like I'm not confident on either of those. We have to sit in a circle and talk about the Bible and our feelings Like.

Speaker 2:

I'm not confident on either of those, but but they get there, they create a comfortable space and men grow and thrive and when the man, when the man gets healthy, the family is impacted, the workplace is impacted, the community, the church, it's all impacted because they really are leading and so lead, lead us well in that way.

Speaker 3:

Yeah, that's really good, yeah, I, I totally agree. And I was thinking, man, when they're in the word, and so that is like next level. You're talking about being in the word and in relationship, and but I feel like when they're consistently in the word, so much just overflows from that, and so I mean, close your ears if you're listening, but when that man is just meeting with the Lord, like his heart is so full it spills out into every aspect of life, so his, our marriage is sweeter, and not because anything has changed, but because he is overflowing, like his heart is overflowing. Our parenting is better, our children. It shifts the dynamic of our entire family just by being in the word. And so I would just encourage men, get in the word, and you don't even have to be doing anything rigorous, you don't have to get in it, and he is so faithful to use it, and even if it doesn't feel like it, he is, he is and it doesn't return void.

Speaker 1:

So I would just say be in the word A man in his Bible is like bringing sexy back.

Speaker 3:

I'm just saying they all want to hear that, because I'm just saying if you're a man in here, there's nothing more attractive than that to be honest, a pursuit of holiness, and that's what they don't understand.

Speaker 1:

For them it's so easy. It's like if this were a men's takeover them.

Speaker 3:

It's so easy. Yeah, it's any. Yeah, it's like if this were just walk by and you're like a cool breeze. That's why they don't ask this question on the men's takeover. But for us women, like read your bibles. Yeah, for us we're like read your bibles and they're like what? That's all we gotta do.

Speaker 1:

I'm gonna come home and sean's gonna be on the couch reading a bible he will he will. I'm gonna be like seriously sean okay, but I I away.

Speaker 2:

I do have a grief on this. I'm like please don't read your Bible on your phone, cause I don't know if you're reading. Josh gets mad at me. He's like why do you want to know if I'm reading the Bible? Cause he's like I'm on my phone reading it on my phone. I'm like, no, you could be reading the news, you could be playing a video game, like if you're reading your paper bible, then I know.

Speaker 1:

And then I'm like yes, there josh, do you hear that we just said?

Speaker 2:

well, there's also money, but there's truth to both of it and to fast forward to this part.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, josh is gonna have a skip in his, but I also want.

Speaker 3:

I want our kids. I was just. I want our kids to see this. I want to imitate.

Speaker 2:

It doesn't look different, yeah when it's on the phone it doesn't look any different than yeah, block, blast or 10, 10. I don't know what do you play I have to take block.

Speaker 1:

Blast off my phone every other day because it's so addicting wordle.

Speaker 2:

Oh, block glasses I think it doesn't look any different, yeah yeah and sean listens so sean will listen to audible on his.

Speaker 1:

He'll listen to his bible in his car on his way to work and, and so. I do also want people to hear like it's okay, like he listens to audible, cause he has an hour and a half drive, you know, and by the time he gets home. He is engaged with us, so he does listen to it in the car, but I, I'm, I'm a big paper Bible, Bible recap. I'm obviously doing on my phone. I do my Bible recap on my phone in the car with my kids.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, that's awesome yeah.

Speaker 1:

I do have do read the Bible, but I think honestly when we go back.

Speaker 3:

That's a good thing. We're thankful that you read the Bible, but there's a place for everything, right. If you're listening to the Bible, if you're reading it on your phone, if you're reading it on a paper cover, the Lord's word is getting hidden in your heart. There are also things that, if you read the paper Bible, there are benefits that come with it of just other people getting to see and ask questions or take note of the way that you're spending time with the Lord. It's more evident, exactly so. It doesn't take away from anything to however you're in the word, but there are ways that you can use it to just be more strategic. More strategic, like I want my kids to know. I want them to look back and say, every morning they woke up and they saw their mama in her Bible spending time with the Lord, and so they might also say I remember my mom screaming at me when I came over to interrupt her every morning.

Speaker 3:

So the Lord is still working on me.

Speaker 1:

There's a lot of refining.

Speaker 3:

That has to happen but I'm like there's something to be said about just knowing that time is set aside, so there's a space for it all the legacy that you leave behind, right? The generations.

Speaker 1:

They will have seen that. I think too. Speaking to men in society and men in our church man, we just want you guys to lead. It's a beautiful thing. They're like it's a. It's a beautiful thing. Like we actually want our church to be filled with godly men who are pursuing their families and their kids, and I just think that there's an entire valley full of men that are hurt and lost and broken and where women are growing in vulnerability.

Speaker 1:

I think that it's harder for men to grow in that, and so, honestly, as as we like, try to encourage and like, get a word out to the men. I think that's the word. That's the word.

Speaker 3:

It's like hey, we just want to see you lead and we want to see where you're and even if that means failing sometimes, I'm like we are OK with seeing you fail. When you take initiative and are leading for the Lord, like you are letting the Lord lead, that I think there's so many women who will come and just talk about, well, my husband. He's so passive or he's, you know, and I'm like you're not giving him a space to lead. But then I also think the men are scared at that point, and so I'm like, just lead, just just take a step, and just you know.

Speaker 1:

And in a society where you have a lot of, our generation has a lot of father, like a lot of fatherlessness even in their life, Right? So they didn't have the example of a dad leading. I think there's this unknown to where generations before had dads at home for so long.

Speaker 1:

I think that this generation is a is a generation of men who don't have the same example of a dad in their life, and so they're just winging it, and sometimes they're going to fail and sometimes but like the encouragement is there's a whole bunch of ladies at Southwest who are cheering you guys on.

Speaker 3:

We want to see you win we want to see you lead well.

Speaker 2:

We want to see you love your families and love your wives and yeah, and I want to see the, the women, come alongside the men in doing that. Like yeah, I think of the example of like young moms that are scared to leave their kids with the dad only you know, and it's like I just don't.

Speaker 3:

well, it's, it's a, it's a thing, it's a real thing.

Speaker 2:

Yep, it's a thing right now. It's like he's not going to do it as well as me. I just can't leave. I can't leave overnight, I can't leave for the afternoon and um. So there are some moms that, because of that, they've got their kids on them all the time. And you know, I love that from the motherhood perspective of like, yes, hold your babies close, but to give your children to your husband to say, I'm going to go out to dinner with some friends, I'm going to go shop on a Saturday afternoon, I'm going to go run and take care of myself physically, um, you're saying, hey, I'm going to choose to trust you. You are the father of my kids and and yeah, this it's probably not going to go the way I would say it should go. Like you know, eat at 12 and sleep at one and I'll. But I trust you and I want you to step into that space of leadership. And you're not saying this out loud, but you're. You're saying it by, by entrusting them with something that's important to you, your kids.

Speaker 2:

But it is an interesting thing and I've seen it happen more and more in the last few years and it's like we got to come alongside our guys and help them be leaders, you know, in spaces like that too and most of the kids will remember like the reality is like I'm never looked at as the fun parent which is hilarious Totally.

Speaker 1:

Like we actually wouldn't do a lot of fun things without me. But you know, like the planning and the executing and the like doing, but we have to ask your family members what the definition of fun is. I'm for sure not the fun parent, but, like if dad's in charge, it's typically not going to be the same schedule as us.

Speaker 3:

But the kids are going to remember dad engaging with them.

Speaker 1:

I remember my dad buying us a video. It going to remember dad engaging with them and timing time. I remember my dad buying us a video. It was the first time we ever had a Nintendo was my mom went out of town and my dad bought us a Nintendo. Like I loved it. It was like yes, I think my mom was so irritated we didn't have cable. My dad got us a Nintendo but for him it was just a way to keep all four girls I know it was he just wanted us to be occupied so he could watch the Dodgers game.

Speaker 1:

So fun, all right, what are some? Well, I think we already talked about what practical spiritual rhythms are, but I would love like at the end of our conversation we really hope that this was engaging, for the people that are listening, but we want to provide them with some helpful resources and I think, even pointing them back to some helpful resources that will help them in some healthy spiritual rhythms.

Speaker 1:

So, what are some podcasts, what are some books, what are some things that you guys are like that are encouraging you right now in this season of life? I'm a weirdo because I'm like listening to like leadership stuff. So, like mine's, like Craig Groeschel leadership podcast oh, I love Craig Groeschel. I would say that for sure.

Speaker 3:

Anybody in leadership or in ministry is great. I love Bookwise. I mentioned it earlier Ruthless Elimination of Hurry and John Mark Homer, I think, does Practicing the Way, which is a great one too. So those are two books that I would say.

Speaker 1:

There's Biblical Femininity too, by I think it's Christy Cole.

Speaker 3:

That's a great one for women. I'll have to read that.

Speaker 2:

Honestly the one that I love anything by like Lisa Harper man. She just like she's funny, she's funny.

Speaker 1:

Relatable and she just backyard theology yeah.

Speaker 2:

A friend of mine just reminded me of that recently.

Speaker 1:

I listened to that just the other day. It's so good.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, um, I mean, I'm right now currently a big fan of Tara Lee Cobble, just because it is a resource I've been using for the last few years to help me understand scripture. Like you guys got to remember, like I didn't go to school for for um ministry, the Lord brought this to me, and so I just feel like I've been playing a game of catch up for the last eight years plus volunteering before that, yeah, and so I'm like.

Speaker 1:

Thank you Totally, Totally.

Speaker 2:

So, um you know, being able to go through that with the, the various women in the various ministries has been awesome, um. So yeah, I'm still still like let's get our arms around different theology stuff and all that.

Speaker 1:

But yeah, that's good, all right, so we want your questions, comments, feedback. Leave a comment on YouTube If you are here listening, email us at the other six days at Southwest Church dot com. We'd love to get some feedback. And, april and Gigi, any last thoughts, comments that you want before we wrap it up.

Speaker 3:

No, I'd say we love you guys. Press on.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, you know, I just I this walk with the Lord, you know as I, as I just think about all of it all of it being a woman, being a mom, being mom, being a wife, um, just doing whatever.

Speaker 2:

Like the lord really wants to be a part of your life and that sounds so silly because he is obviously he's god, like he is a part of your life, but we so quickly shut him out, I think, like without even realizing it, just the different things that we put our focus on, the different things we put our energy on, and I just want to take a minute today to remind you guys that just turn around, he's right there. He wants you to go to him for everything. Try it, just try it, just try going to him for everything, whether that looks like pausing and thinking about him, considering what he would want you to do in every situation, praying about every situation, opening your word, like leave your Bible open on the coffee table and don't close it. Like just these little practices in your daily life that that make for just this real, rich and robust relationship with Jesus. Because, as much as you know, church on Sunday is great and Bible study on Tuesday is great and Bible recap is great, like it's.

Speaker 2:

He wants us in those tiny spaces that no one else sees and I just want to encourage you that like right now can be that space, like the next thing can be a time of worship, or praise, or thinking or praying and um. So just love the Lord with all your heart. Girls I love it all right.

Speaker 1:

Well, there, there you have it again. Thanks. Thank you for joining us on another episode of the Other Six Days podcast. Be sure to hit that subscribe, follow, share and like. Spread the word as always. Take what you've heard and turn it into something you can do to further the gospel in the world around you. And until next time,