Welcome to the Hope Unlocked podcast . I'm your host , kristen Kurtz , and I'm also the founder of New Wings Coaching . I help and empower wildhearted and adventurous women of faith feeling caged and stuck , unlock their true purpose and potential , break free from limitations and thrive with confidence , courage and hope . If you're curious to learn more about coaching with me , head to newwingscoachingnet and be sure to explore the show notes for ways to connect with me further . Get ready to dive in as we uncover empowering keys and insights in this episode . So tune in and let's unlock hope together . Welcome to the Hope Unlocked
podcast . I'm Kristen Kurtz , your host . Today , I'm actually , in essence , sharing a little bit about my behind the scenes story . Have you ever considered not sharing your story until the whole story is done ? We feel like there's moments when we can only share once the breakthrough has happened , when the full circle testimony has occurred . We think we need the big ending before we speak up . So today I'm doing something different . I'm inviting you into the middle of my story In 2021 , I walked away from a corporate job with steady income , benefits and structure because I heard the Lord say go .
Speaker 1He didn't give me a roadmap . He gave me a dream and the grace to face the future . It hasn't always been easy . The path has required
faith over fear and obedience without full clarity . But Proverbs 31 , 25 often reminds me , lately especially , she is clothed with dignity and strength . She can laugh at the days to come and that's the posture I'm choosing again and again . When I left that job I had a dream that the business called New Wings Coaching would financially meet or even exceed what I walked away from . And if you don't know , being a business owner , especially a kingdom business owner , takes the gift of faith . It's not an overnight success story and for most of us it's a slow build , a holy stretch . But I can say with full confidence the income I've received has exceeded anything I could have asked for , not financial income but soul income . I'm richer in peace , overflowing with joy . My physical health has improved and my intimacy with the Lord has gone deeper than I ever imagined . The fruits of the Spirit , especially peace , have multiplied my life and while I still believe for the financial promise , I know that for now the manna has sustained me . But I also know the milk and honey is coming . I wasn't called to go back to Egypt . There are no U-turns , no shrinking back . I'm facing the future and I'm singing my way through .
Speaker 1I call this season WAIT training , w-a-i-t training , because it's more than waiting . It's training , preparation , transformation and formation . In the waiting , god has trained my heart to hear him more clearly , let go of timelines , trust his
character , not just outcomes and incomes . The wilderness isn't punishment , it's training ground . It's where I've learned to worship instead of worry , to surrender instead of strive , to lean in instead of run . And let me say this clearly waiting in the kingdom is not passive , it's warfare . It's standing on the promise even when you can't see the proof . It's resisting the lie that God has forgotten you . It's refusing to quit when the breakthrough feels so far away .
Speaker 1I used to believe I had to wait until the testimony was complete , until every piece made sense , but I felt compelled to share the here and now , not the polished ending , but the middle , the faith walk , the tension , the trust , because someone else might be walking it too and they need to know they're not alone , especially since this is the very work I help others with walking through the middle , unlocking what's next and refusing to turn back . One of the most powerful things I've learned in the process , and something I encourage my clients to do do is to celebrate before the celebration . It's not just a feel-good mindset , it's a prophetic faith act . It's declaring God I trust you before I see the breakthrough . It's throwing a praise party in the wilderness . It's aligning your spirit with heaven's yes , even when the answer hasn't shown up yet on earth . Celebration becomes a weapon , a posture , a holy yes that says I believe you're good and I believe you're coming through . So here I am , celebrating in the middle , and maybe this is your middle too .
Speaker 1If you're in a wilderness season , if you've left your version of Egypt , if you're walking without a clear map , this is for you . You are not stuck , you are not forgotten . You are being strengthened and he waits with you in the waiting . Your story isn't on pause . It's being written . You don't have to wait until it's finished to be bold with your voice . You can face the future now , because God is already there . This is your weight training , this is your preparation
for promise . And if you feel like giving up , hear me , don't . You're closer than you think and God finishes what he starts . Let's declare this together .
Speaker 1I am clothed in strength and dignity . I face the future with hope . I laugh the days to come because God is already there . Face the future with hope . I laugh the days to come because God is already there . I will not go back to Egypt . I will not fear the wilderness . I am in weight training and the weight is not wasted . God is working behind the scenes and he is working within me . I walk by faith , not by sight . I celebrate before the celebration . I press forward even when the path is unclear . I declare that milk and honey are ahead . I was born to live unlocked and I will not settle for less . In Jesus' name , amen .
Speaker 1I don't know exactly what you're walking through right now . Maybe you're in the hallway between what was and what's next . Maybe you're standing in the tension of still believing . Maybe you feel the pull to go back to what's safe , but something inside you knows you can't . If that's you
, I want to remind you . You're not behind , you're not off course . You're right where God has you and he is in it with you . He is faithful in every season . He catches every tear . He prepares a table in the wilderness , catches every tear , he prepares a table in the wilderness and he will lead you all the way to the promise . So keep walking , keep worshiping , keep celebrating , keep believing , because the promised land isn't for the ones who played it safe . It's for the faithful , the trailblazers , the women with Caleb and Joshua courage , the ones who face the future with grit and grace . Joshua Courage , the ones who face the future with grit and grace and friend , you are one of them . Let's keep going . Let's keep rising eyes forward , voice strong , feet moving because there's more ahead . Thank you .