When Ash B's soul-stirring tune "Prayed For" filled my ears, it was like a mirror to my own journey—reflecting the deep-seated yearnings for love and blessings that coursed through my life before I found my soulmate. Now, as I sit down with Laquita Parks, CEO of PayProV Publishing, we unravel the threads of personal trials, the relentless pursuit of dreams, and the silent prayers that shape us. Together, we celebrate the literary milestones achieved by my family, boasting six bestsellers, and the anticipation for what's yet to come in our shared narrative of turning pain into victory.
The heart of our conversation beats to the rhythm of self-discovery and complex human connections. With Mother's Day just around the corner, we honor the unsung heroism of mothers juggling their multifaceted identities and nurturing the burgeoning talents of their children. As I peel back the layers of my own persona—mother, wife, teacher, and friend—I reveal the intimate inner dialogues and private supplications that anchor my sense of self. We also tackle the darkness of gaslighting, the necessity for accountability in the nonprofit world, and the power of mentorship, underscoring the importance of integrity in all aspects of life.
As we round off this intimate exchange, I turn my gaze toward the horizon, eager to share the exciting projects that await. With initiatives like the Women of the Waiting Room TV Channel and upcoming book launches, the seeds of empowerment are being sown for a global impact. And in the sanctuary of waiting, I share insights on love, the potency of prayer, and the celestial choreography that we hope will lead us to the relationships we're destined for. Join us for this heartfelt exploration through the waiting room of life, where every trial is a stepping stone to triumph.
When Ash B's soul-stirring tune "Prayed For" filled my ears, it was like a mirror to my own journey—reflecting the deep-seated yearnings for love and blessings that coursed through my life before I found my soulmate. Now, as I sit down with Laquita Parks, CEO of PayProV Publishing, we unravel the threads of personal trials, the relentless pursuit of dreams, and the silent prayers that shape us. Together, we celebrate the literary milestones achieved by my family, boasting six bestsellers, and the anticipation for what's yet to come in our shared narrative of turning pain into victory.
The heart of our conversation beats to the rhythm of self-discovery and complex human connections. With Mother's Day just around the corner, we honor the unsung heroism of mothers juggling their multifaceted identities and nurturing the burgeoning talents of their children. As I peel back the layers of my own persona—mother, wife, teacher, and friend—I reveal the intimate inner dialogues and private supplications that anchor my sense of self. We also tackle the darkness of gaslighting, the necessity for accountability in the nonprofit world, and the power of mentorship, underscoring the importance of integrity in all aspects of life.
As we round off this intimate exchange, I turn my gaze toward the horizon, eager to share the exciting projects that await. With initiatives like the Women of the Waiting Room TV Channel and upcoming book launches, the seeds of empowerment are being sown for a global impact. And in the sanctuary of waiting, I share insights on love, the potency of prayer, and the celestial choreography that we hope will lead us to the relationships we're destined for. Join us for this heartfelt exploration through the waiting room of life, where every trial is a stepping stone to triumph.
I? They question when no man, that ain't no fit for me. Do you pray, cause I pray? You want kids. I want a new heart. You say follow it. Tell me, can you send a ring? You a king, I'm a queen. We require certain things, and that's what I pray for. So that's what I wait for, dear God, come when you're sinning, I'm gon' be ready.
Speaker 2:Dear God, you do this for me. I won't forget it. My heart, I've been through so much and I just wanna feel your love for once. And, dear God, I hope he's happy Already here, but if you see me, I know he is. I know he will. Dear God, that's what I pray for. That's what I pray for. So that's what I wait for and I vow to be everything you need. Share my life with you, all the right with you, and I promise to support all your dreams. But I gotta know that you were made for me. Do you pray, cause I pray? You want kids, I want eight. You were made for me. Do you pray, cause I pray? You want kids, I want eight. Are you faithful? Oh wait, tell me, can you send a ring? You a king, I'm a queen. We require certain things, and that's what I pray for. So that's what I wait for.
Speaker 1:That's what I pray for. That's what I wait for for. That's what I'm waiting for.
Speaker 2:Dear God, you do this for me. I won't forget it, my heart, I've been through so much and I just wanna feel true love for once. Feel true love for once. And, dear God, I hope he's happy, already, healed, but if he's in me, I know he is, I know he will. Dear God, dear God, that's what I pray for, so that's what I wait for.
Speaker 3:Yes, thank you guys so much for tuning in to listen. Linda, today I have such an amazing guest, uh, but first I want to shout out ash b for that song, pray for. If you don't got it, go get it. Uh, that song reaches and speaks to my spirit and even though, yes, I am married, happily married for eight years now to mr Cox if y'all don't know his first name, but everybody know who Mr Cox is the love of my life, my husband, my best friend. But I'm also friends to a lot of beautiful, talented, gorgeous, amazing single women who I know they are deserving of a wonderful love. And that song right there just puts everything in perspective when you're looking for your mate. So if I had have had that song back when I was making Wrong Choices in Me, that, along with Dr Velma's series, the Catch series, her books would have definitely saved me a lot of heartache. So I appreciate my friend Ashby for that song.
Speaker 3:I have an amazing guest host today who is not only the publisher of all 11 of my family's books six of them bestsellers and we still have five more coming that are soon to be bestsellers she is the publisher of two anthologies that I have coming out combined, which is the Women of the Waiting Room, anthology as well as the devotional. She is very, very great. I want to call her my best friend. I want to call her my bonus mom. I want to call her my sister in Christ. I want to call her one of the most beautiful, talented and just amazing women of God that I've ever ever met in my life, and I am so blessed that she's coming on my platform just to show me some love. So you guys give it up for Miss Laquita Parks. Thank you so much. Oh, my goodness, jacqueline, you know what I need to? Um, I need to pay you for that. I really need to pay you for that. I am so excited to be here.
Speaker 3:Jacqueline said my name is Laquita Parks. I am the CEO and founder of PayProV Publishing, and PayProV means pain, progress, victory, because I believe without pain there is no progress and without progress there can be no victory. So I am so, so excited to be here. And again I have to say, jacqueline, thank you so much for that introduction. I so appreciate it and I appreciate you and your family, and you know what I'm going to say you are one of the hardest working women in show business. I have to say you got it going on with your children and your husband. You got it all together, girl. I love it. I love it.
Speaker 3:One of the things that I really really like about you is you have somebody once said that I have the tenacity of a pit bull on steroids, and I'm going to say so. Do you, especially when it comes to those boys, making sure that they have what they need. They have some of the things that they want and making sure that their talents get noticed, and I appreciate the mom that you are. So kudos, kudos to you, and happy early mother's day to you as well, and all the women that are here listening on this platform. So I want to just jump right in.
Speaker 3:I'm excited for everything, all of the things that you're working on, all of the accomplishments, and I know from a personal standpoint that it is not easy, and I know that everything that you go through to do the things that you need to do and then do the things that you want to do, I know it ain't easy. You make it look good, girl, but you do. You make it look good. That's why some people take it for granted that, oh okay, she can do this. She can do that because you make it look easy. So I want to take this moment to say congratulations. I'm proud of all of the things that you have accomplished and the things that you are working on, and all the doors that are opening to you, for you and to God. Be the glory. To God be the glory. So that's my story, girl, and I'm sticking to it.
Speaker 3:So the first question I have for you is who is Jacqueline? That's my first question. Who is Jacqueline? Jacqueline is tough. Jacqueline is smart, ambitious. Jacqueline is artistic, creative, determined, driven, spiritual, a lover of people.
Speaker 3:I am full of faith. I am full of faith. I am worthy, I am enough. I am loved, I am appreciated. I am beautiful, I am bold. I am fearless, I am fierce. Fearless, I am fierce. I am rubies, diamonds, pearls. I am a breath of fresh air. I am. God sent honey to this earth. I am me, I am phenomenal, I am a wonder woman. I am a mom, I am a wife, I am a sister, I am a friend, I am a cousin. I am a teacher. I am a friend, I am a cousin, I am a teacher. I am broken, I am hurt, I am fearful of God. But I own it, I accept it and I am healing and I am putting in the work to become even better than I was 10 minutes ago so I can work on becoming better than I am right now. 10 minutes from now. That's who I am. Wow, that was a whole lot. That was a whole lot. That was a whole lot. I appreciate that. I have to say I'm a whole lot. Yeah, well, I did it for you. I did it for you. That's a whole lot, and you know what it's.
Speaker 3:Uh, oftentimes, when, when it's when people want to know who you are, we kind of get caught up and you have to think about well, exactly who, exactly who am I? Because oftentimes, especially when you have a family, when you have a spouse, when you have children, you get caught up into I'm a wife, I'm a mother, but we are so much more than that. And it's a little different for me because I have adult children, but I'm still a mother. But my life now is different than the way it was when my children were your children's ages. So you get, you know, we get caught up in the identity of our spouse and our children and sometimes we lose who we are. So that was good.
Speaker 3:I want to ask you and I don't want to kind of throw out a series of just questions, questions, I do want to dialogue some with it but what I want to know is Tell us, tell us something. You know, we, we just heard who you are. We just heard that that you're, you're a woman of God, your wife, your mother, your friend, your, your creator, your, you know all of those things that you're. You're a woman of god, your wife, your mother, your friend, your, your creator, your, you know all those things that you just listed. We just heard all of that. So, but now I want to know what is it?
Speaker 3:Who is the jacqueline that space who you know? When she's bare to the world, she doesn't, she's not, she's not in front of the camera. You know, the kids are, are off with dad doing their thing, and it's just you, with your peace and your solace. And, and you're just naked, and I don't mean physically naked, but you're just, you're justlless, and you're just naked, and I don't mean physically naked, but you're just naked. Who are you? I am sleep, sleep and beauty. I know that's right. I'm a vision. I am when the curtains are pulled closed and I lay. I hurt, I'm in pain, I cry, I breathe, but I pray. I'm prayerful. Jacqueline is on her knees praying to God.
Speaker 3:Jacqueline is thanking God for everything that I'm going through. I thank God that I don't look like what I'm going through. I thank God for rescuing me from the life that I used to live and although I was never like on hard drugs or anything, that's because he covered me from those things. I was surrounded by those things for a long time in my life and I just never had the urge to indulge. So I thank God for the mindset of you know what, or for having a parent that went through those things. I was able to envision those things and also able to envision that those things are not what I wanted my life to look like. So I steer clear. So I thank God for taking the will from me. So, in those moments when I have that peace and I'm not just going to say peace, because my children and my husband and those things bring me peace, being a creative working, because by being a creative and being able to express myself through art, through creative design, through poetry, through writing, through digital design, through digital marketing, whatever it is that I do in my life brings me peace. So the moment that I don't have that, I'm either praying or you know what I'm doing I'm watching my Real Housewives of Atlanta reruns. That's what I'm doing. That's who Jacqueline is. Jacqueline is a reality TV lover and connoisseur. That's who I am. Connoisseur, that's who I am. I love it. I love it.
Speaker 3:You know, when we, sometimes we go through in our private time. I had a conversation with myself because you know you have to do those self-talks because I believe if you can believe, if you can teach yourself to believe a lie, then you can train yourself to believe the truth. Okay, and we have to go through the process sometimes. And in one of my self-taught conversations, oftentimes you tell people say you know, how are you, how are you doing? I'm fine. Well, even when you're not fine, because, as women and I think sometimes men do that too the point where we don't really want to say how we feel because, oh, we don't want people to feel like we're complaining it feels like, you know, every time you turn around, it's always something with me and that person might be thinking it's always something going on with you. But we're deceiving ourselves because if I tell you I'm fine and I'm not fine, then I'm telling a lie.
Speaker 3:Okay, so, as we go through the motions of our day-to-day lives, having that time is important, and I'm learning that it's important to have that solace. And when you're in the crevices of your own space and you're naked before God and you're in your dream time or in your sleep time, it's the time that you can be totally transparent with yourself. You know you don't have to put on anything for anybody, you don't have to be kind, you don't have to put on a happy face. You can pull that mask off and you can be who you want to be, who you are, when you can't quite be that person because of the expectations. Okay, so I really appreciate that and I appreciate transparency, because we have to be honest with ourselves if we expect the world to see us for who we want them to see us as. So I like that, I really like that.
Speaker 3:So I'm going to ask you this question, and I typically asked most people this question and I've probably asked you this question before. Think about what you're doing now, think about the things that you've done in your life, and I'm going to give you like 10 seconds to answer this question because I don't want you to think hard about it. Like 10 seconds to answer this question, because I don't want you to think hard about it. If you could do anything in this entire world and knew that you would not fail at it, there was no way that you would fail at it. What would it be and why Hit the lottery? I ain't know why. You should know the why that's it. Hit the lottery, hit the lottery, hit the lottery. Y'all didn't even have to think twice about it and that's now. I'm sticking to that answer. You can't make me change it. Hit the lottery. Okay, I was looking for something a little deeper, but that's good, nobody's ever said hit the lottery.
Speaker 3:I was looking for something profound, but that, hey, that was well, you're forcing me to make you expound upon that. So what would you do with the lottery, with the money that you win, of course, after you take care of yourself and family, what would you do with the money that would make a difference in this world? I would invest. I would. First, I would give a lot to certain charities. I would give it to youth girls, urban mostly, who are going through challenges. I would donate to that cause. I would donate to the boys as well. I would donate to the boys as well, young boys from birth to maybe 24. I would donate to every cause of sickness that I'm dealing with. I would donate money to help find cures for those things and I would donate money to all of the homeless people in the world. Like all the people who are homeless, but especially the ones in America who are homeless and living under bridges and don't know where they're going to eat, I would build shelters. Living under bridges and don't know where they're going to eat, I will build shelters. I would build transitional living facilities. I will find work for them. If they're creatives, I will create creative spaces where they can create their art and maybe do art galleries for them. That's what I would do. That's what I would do. I like that purpose.
Speaker 3:I propose for the money to be used for the homeless. What would you do to eradicate the homeless? What ideas or thoughts would you do? Would you come up with? Well, yeah, like I said, I would build shelters. I would be like a part of the board. I would be a part of the grassroots. I would be in the room where the money. I want to know where it's being spent, I would know what pot is going into and I would definitely have AP and AR looked at very closely and if you guys don't know what AP, ar that's, account payable, account receivables I want to know who gets what. I will make sure that the money that I'm investing, the money that I'm donating, the grants that I'm providing for them, are being spent not as salaries for people to go on trips to Jamaica and Africa and all these different places, but are actually getting put towards the actual cause. So that's what I would do and I would be hands on. You already know me a million on deck, because I need to know what every dollar and I want to make sure and then I will make sure that the people who are receiving those funds get surveys and their ids and their signatures go on those surveys, because I want to know that they are the ones that are signing those surveys. I, I I like that because there are so many organizations who they stand, they they say they stand for one.
Speaker 3:I was listening to the news one day and they were saying that there are these organizations and they're just organizations in name only and they're accepting, they're not doing anything. I know they're getting they're not doing anything. Right, they're right and I know, in these grants and they're they're splitting it up between. And you know, I've I've been in the room child, so I know I've worked with nonprofits, I've been in the room, I've been on the board, I've sat in board meetings and I watched the money get penny-pinched on all year so they can wait until the end of the year when they get these bonus checks and they are the size of a year's salaries for people. So I've seen people uh write grants and then they split the money between the people that's in the organization and they, they. They have these fundraisers where they spend maybe uh, ten or fifteen hundred dollars and then they ask the public for donations and go fund these to support the cause, when they know that they've written grants for these things and they divvied up the money and took a bunch of trips all year or bought clothes and shoes and did these things and did not put that money where it was supposed to go. So if it's my money that's being put towards it, it's going to have a leash on it. I understand that. You know there are.
Speaker 3:I remember when I started my mentoring program and I was talking to this guy and he said his response to me was oh, there are, there are enough, there are a lot of mentoring programs. And I said, ok, you know, oh, you know there are that. And mentoring programs? And I said, okay, you know. Oh, you know there are that. And he was just kind of brushing me off there are a lot of mentoring programs. So I said, well, then answer this question for me. I said if there are a lot of or enough mentoring programs, then one or two things is the problem. Either there either the mentoring programs that we have are not sufficient, or we don't have enough mentoring programs to meet the needs of the individuals. So mentoring programs have to.
Speaker 3:First of all, you have to know, just like you know. People say it takes a whole village to raise a child, and it does. I agree with that. But you have to know who's in the village. Okay, everybody in the village can't raise a child. They can't help raise a child, can't be near the child. So you have to know who's in the village. Okay, everybody in the village can't raise the child. They can't help raise the child, can't be near the child. So you have to know who's in the village. So we have to be good stewards of our money. So that's a good thing. And then the people who are receiving, they also. We also have to teach them how to fish. So because if they, if they keep coming back and we keep giving them the fish and never teach them the skills they need, then we're just going to keep throwing money after money after money. So I like that whole process and I do agree.
Speaker 3:When I worked with a corporate organization, I worked with community affairs and I had an opportunity to see a lot of things, just like you. And I had an opportunity to see a lot of things just like you, and I had to, you know. So it even taught me when there are people on the streets who are you know how. You see people on the street with signs or they have kids out on the street, which I absolutely hate. I don't like that. They have kids on the street or they're doing this fundraiser for this fundraiser. For that. I have to research and know where my money is going going. Just because you're standing out on the street with a sign does not mean my money goes into that boot or bucket, and a lot of times that money never makes it to where it's supposed to go. Absolutely so I, I like that. I like that.
Speaker 3:So, jacqueline, moving right along, moving right along, girl, what is what you know? We talk, we talk all the time and there are some things that burn your britches like. There are some things that get my goat. I mean they, they thank you in your words they take you to the moon, take me to the moon and grind my ears, grind your gears for me, burn my butt. I'm like what kind of cackle, knuckle, bull janker is this? What are some of the things? What's? What's one thing, what's the the, the thing that just grinds your gears and sends you to the moon and back in a in a shake of a in a shake of a of a tail. What is that thing? That? That is just a total deal breaker for you. Um, gas lighters. And so for the people in the back who don't know what a gas lighter is, what is that?
Speaker 3:Gaslighters is someone who is the villain and plays the victim to divert the attention back to the victim. Um, they never take accountability for anything. They pull at your heartstrings and make it seem even though they are wrong. They have a twisted way to make you feel like the villain. Um, they make you feel ashamed for wanting to be respected. They make you feel bad for for addressing a problem or addressing the issue if it hurts you. Someone who victim blames and someone who basically just is a sociopath in their own right on right. They, they don't take accountability and they don't care how their actions affects the other person. That's what a gas lighter is.
Speaker 3:Okay, I dropped this girl, listen, and I, I can name, I can name some girl in my own family. Okay, if y'all listen, I ain't lying. I ain't lying because listen for the real. The real real of it is I love my family, don't get me wrong, but if I had to choose them, if I had to choose some of them as family, if I had to do it all over again and then say, okay, you know what, choose these ones. There's some of y'all that won't make it, amen. I'm just saying, I'm just saying so, I, I, I like that. Well, you know, I like it in the sense of I understand what you're saying.
Speaker 3:There are, there are people who there are people who, by the time they get through with you, it's like okay, now wait, we were talking because you were the problem. Now how we? How? Now I'm the problem. A vampire, energy suckers, energy energy suckers. Just drain all you. By the time you get done, see what a gas lighter will do for the people in the back who may not know. You'll come to them and say you know, just like I'm talking to you right now, you know what laquita? Uh, I can't even address you. I'm gonna say you know what shawley? You know, I don't appreciate the way that you handled this, or you handled me in this situation. You made me feel like this, you made me feel like that Right, people today are so used to throwing shade, subliminal messages, messages.
Speaker 3:Let me find a meme or a tagline that I could use, that I could express how I feel without addressing the person directly. Like we don't have telephones no more. Like we don't have text messages, like we can't call this person and tell this person how we feel, no more, because we don't really want to address the problem. We just want to be popular or we just want to be the person known to throw the best shade. Now, I ain't going to lie. I think I'm the queen, I think I can stand in the ring with anybody when it comes to shade.
Speaker 3:But one thing about Jacqueline Cox, one thing about Jacqueline Sharmeese Smith Cox is that I've been doing this from birth. I have been raised by country black women from the South. Okay, I have never been afraid to address anybody head on. So if anybody tell you I'll say anything behind their back and then tell them to their face first they are flat out, laugh. They'll fat face on, laugh. Okay, I have always told people how I felt. I never held nothing back. I've never been the person to shoot somebody and smile in their face. No, you're going to know from me first. And smiling, they say no, you're going to know from me first. And then after that I'd be lying if I did not say I did not tell the world how you did me, absolutely I did.
Speaker 3:I got to warn the universe on who, not they look, go at your own risk. Now I'm not saying don't be, you know, but watch out. That's all I'm going to say, because this was done to me. Yes, I will do that. And I'm not saying that it's right or wrong. I'm just saying, right now, in the stage of my life where I am, I'm going to warn the people. I'm going to warn the people Danger, danger, danger will rob you, danger will rob you. Go left Yellow tape. You know what? I appreciate that you said that I I the one thing that I appreciate that you said um was in the stage that I am in my life, because those stages change now.
Speaker 3:It does not mean that. It does not mean that a gaslighter won't still be a gaslighter. It doesn't mean that a backbiter or a cheat won't still be a backbiter or a cheat. But as women of God who proclaim Christianity, we have a loving God and that loving God forgives. So if we know that God forgives, we know that God has the power to change people. So we know that people do change. However, when we change ourselves too, we grow from where we are today, where I am, where you are now. I'm not there in that space because that was almost 20 years ago. So between us, girl, I'm aging myself. That's why we call Mama Queda. So as you grow those things, how you feel about a certain thing changes. However, hurt still means hurt, lies still mean lies, deceit still mean deceit, all those things. So you still have to be aware and be careful of those people around you, and you have to.
Speaker 3:What did my grandma used to say trust but verify and you don't get it. I used to say you don't get. I have a good friend of mine actually, who said you get two good times after you. After those two good times, then I'm going to show you my crazy. And she said I said you don't give them one time. She said I give them two good times, which means the first time might be OK, that was an accident, the second time maybe no, that be no, no, no, no, no. That was something you did on purpose. So we have to make sure that we protect ourselves and I love that.
Speaker 3:You said the queen of shade. You know, that's a new terminology at first, and I'm I'm um, you know, jacqueline, you know, I don't know some terminology so I'm like, okay, that mean. So when some and you said that before, mama Queen, you were throwing shade and I was like, no, what do you mean? I wasn't throwing shade. But sometimes when you say what you say, you know people take it as shade and it isn't shade. Sometimes it can be, but you know when somebody is throwing, when somebody is being underhanded and nasty to you. You know that's never my case. You know what, mama quita?
Speaker 3:I have always grown up around women that were older than me and they always schooled me. Even now, today, I surround, like I put up a status today. That said, when you surround yourself with champions, they will spar with you until you become a heavyweight champion yourself. And I feel like I surround myself with champions in all aspects of my life. I've done this and I don't know if it's a survival mechanism that I use or if God put these people in my life. I'm banking on God putting these people in my life. These are my legion of angels that he keeps For that pearl they're making you that pearl.
Speaker 2:They're busting me. You can't become a pearl without yes, you can't become a pearl, and you're right Wait.
Speaker 3:Tyson had to spar with the best of them.
Speaker 3:Absolutely he had to spar with the best of them. Rocky had to spar with Creed, spar with the best of them. Rocky had to spar with creed, with the best of them, to become the best, to beat that russian man, like he had to really get out there look creed. He had to go fight all those people to become the best. What did you just say? What did you just say that that was key. What did you just say? He had to get out there. And that's the problem some people, some people don't want to get out there.
Speaker 3:So so you can say and it's growth, I and I, I agree, jack, when I've been there, I have I have had and I have some.
Speaker 3:You know, most of my friends are older than me and I have had some people to come and they, they will tell you some stuff and at first it'd be like, okay, that hurt my feelings, but they are saying it in love and you gotta always consider the source. But I've I've had some that I've had to go back and say you know what? I don't, I, I didn't like I mean, I'm talking about days and weeks where I'm marinating over something and my feelings hurt and I'm like, okay, I can't believe she said that to me, or I can't believe she did that to me. And then I have to, I, you know, I go back and and I'm like okay, I'm not gonna say nothing to that person, no more. But then in me is it's a gnawing that says okay, you know what, this person has always been kind and always been this and that. And then when I go back to that person, say, you know, you hurt my feelings and it's like how did I hurt your feelings? What did I?
Speaker 3:do and I said well, you said such and such and you said something about this and that. And she was like, oh no, that's not what I meant. I'm sorry, that is not what I meant. And giving them a chance to explain, but the same people they will. When you say sparring, absolutely, because they will come back and they will be like listen, you have, once you go through the ring so much, then you begin to trust them because you know who they are. And then I find myself seeking their advice, because the Bible says what the older women teach the younger women and we have to get in there. And that's the problem. So many people already know everything and they don't want to get in there and they don't want to get smart.
Speaker 3:So in order to come out that pearl because you're a pearl, because you're, you're, you're a diamond in the rough somebody said so in order to be a diamond a diamond ain't a diamond, just it ain't born a diamond, honey, it has to go through some things. And then, once you get that diamond, what you have to do, you have to, you have to shine it when you get that. When you get that diamond, what you have to do, you have to shine it. When you get that silver, that real silver, it gets dull sometimes and you got to what you got to shine it. You got to make that diamond sparkle. And then, when you get them pearls you know you got some pearls because it's been through some things.
Speaker 3:Why do you think it's so expensive? If they were cheap, everybody would have a set, everybody would have real diamonds. But you have to get in there, and you're absolutely right. They got in there. What did they do? They got beat up and they lost a couple of rounds, but they came back and after they came back they lost some more rounds, but they came back. And when they came back, what did they do? Did they win? Yes, they won big. They didn't just win, they won it all, and that's the thing. So, as, as we go through and I and I can, I can appreciate growth. I can appreciate growth. I can appreciate, um, I can appreciate somebody saying you know what? Uh, um, you know I, I was wrong. I can appreciate somebody saying you know, laquita, this is how, this is how what you did made me feel and all the time we've had those talks before, exactly, absolutely the point I'm making.
Speaker 3:The point I'm making is we've had those talks before. I've had that talk with every single last one of y'all, every single last one of my crew. I got on the phone and I said I don't like how you made me feel when you said this. You know, because my feelings can hurt real easy, even though I come off as strong and tough my feelings. You know, I got feelings like everybody else and a lot of people don't really respect that part of me Because they feel like I'm so tough.
Speaker 3:I should be able to just take whatever they throw, and that's not always the case, and so you know, when I bring it to you, it's not what you say, it's how you say it. It's not you get what I'm saying. I can appreciate somebody who would say, you know what? No, that's not how I really wanted you to feel. I didn't mean it in that aspect. But I pay attention to tone, I pay attention to body language and then I use discernment. I'm a true woman of God. Whether people want to believe it or not, that's what they thought and they ain't got nothing to do with me. What they think don't make me eat. God gives me things, and when he gives me things and he put it in my spirit, my discernment shows me who's for me and who's not for me, and I'm sorry.
Speaker 3:One thing that I've always said, my daddy always taught me, is two things actually. One thing you never lose a friend. That's one thing. You never lose a friend, no matter what you've been through in your life. You never lose a friend, because a friend can't be lost. You could tell a friend how you feel, they could tell you how you, how they feel about you, and y'all can. Y'all can give each other some space or whatever, but you will always have that friend because they are a friend. And another thing my daddy always taught me watch the person that always keep a smile on their face, because Chucky, gremlins, jigsaw Pennywise, fat Freddy and Thighs or whatever it is, they all wore smiles. So everything that wear a smile ain't good and everything that don't wear a smile ain't bad. So we have to be helpful and mindful that everybody is walking around like they. Oh yeah, you, my sis, hey, sis, hey, this don't call me sis. Uh-uh. That's a, that's a red flag for me, that's a trauma word, that's a trigger you know why am I?
Speaker 3:saying uh-uh, nope, nope, nope. And you know what, and and you know what, I, I, everybody has their, everybody has their own way of coping, their own way of viewing everybody. Does you have to respect everybody's opinion? Hey, my, my sister said I, I respect your, I, I respect your right to be wrong. I was like what? So everybody has their own way of how they cope, how they deal. I call them isms. What their isms are, it does not make it wrong. It does not make your feelings and your thoughts wrong. You just have to know everybody and, just like you said, you don't lose a friend and sometimes people have to understand.
Speaker 3:I talked to a lady it was just last week and she and I hadn't seen each other in a long time and we started talking. She called me and we talked for like two hours like we had just, we had been seeing each other every single day and she said you know, and we've had, we've had our disagreements, we have agreed to disagree. You know, we've had our disagreements. She's gotten very upset with me, I've gotten very upset with her and at the end of the day, you know, it's like hey, I love you, this is. You know, if I hurt your feelings. I apologize, that was not my intent and that's the thing that we receive from each other, and it can be five years, it can be a year. We still pick up the friendship where we left off, because life happens.
Speaker 3:So, I agree, you don't lose a friend At the same time you do outgrow people, lose a friend at the same time. You do outgrow people and sometimes there I truly believe in there are people that come into your life for a reason. There are people that come into your life for a season. There are people that come into your life for a lifetime. I truly agree with that, because sometimes people think well, people that you know, your family, comes into your life for a lifetime, not necessarily because, keep in mind, the family that we were born with that's not necessarily the people that's going to stay with us for the lifetime, because we didn't choose those people. You know what I'm saying. We didn't choose them. Your children, that's your lifetime. Your spouse should be your lifetime Friends. There are some friends that are lifetime, but there are also friends or people who come into your life to grow you and once they grow you in a certain situation, then you can check that box off, honey.
Speaker 3:And it's like okay, you know what one thing I learned, jacqueline and I see that with you is to be a sponge uh, I've not known you. You would think we've known each other for a million years. I've not known you for a million years, but in the short time that I've known you, I've seen a lot with you. I've seen a lot of growth, I've seen the pain, I've seen pain from hurt and I've seen the physical pain. I've seen a mother rally behind your children, and I don't mean just some fly-by-night rallying, you know what I'm saying. I mean use you as an example. You know I'm all about the story, jacqueline. You know that I am all about the story.
Speaker 3:And when there are people who have children, I'm like, hey, you have children, you got to book. The whole family have children. I'm like, hey, you have children, you got to book the whole family. Hey, I know a family, the whole family. They are published authors. And it's not like OK, well, we wrote a book, let's check that out. No, they are published authors. And the mom, the mom is a beast. I was having that conversation in Alabama the other day, was having that conversation in Alabama the other day. The mom is a beast.
Speaker 3:So I see that with you and we have to realize too that people are not where we are. We have to take people for where they are and take steps back and say, okay, you know what this is made to? Grow me, lord, let me learn what I need to learn and let me move on. Because typically and tell me if you agree or disagree, jacqueline typically, when you get in situations or you meet people and they grow you, your next level is elevated. It's to the next level. It's to the next level, a million percent. You want a whole nother level spiritually, emotionally, even sometimes financially. When people grow you, even if it's intentional or unintentional, god will bless you, depending on if you pass.
Speaker 3:I'm always passing the test, whether I want to or not. Once I feel like I'm not passing the test, I reach out to my heavyweights and y'all whip me back into shape. So I know that all the anger, all the hurt, all the pain, everything that I feel people may have done to me, I pour that into my craft, I pour it into my kids, I pour all that energy I put into something else and it blooms. It blooms. So what they say, the enemy, uh. That, what, what the enemy uh thinks is going to be for your doom, it ends up being for your deliverance. You know what they take Absolutely. What you meant for evil, god meant for good, that's right. What the enemy meant to be, your doom, what meant to be your demise, god takes that and he turns it into your deliverance. He turns it into.
Speaker 3:He puts you, you know, up on that mountaintop that they were trying to say hey, you follow me, you stay under me, because people love to see you. When they feel like you are beneath them, then it's okay. But the moment you want to elevate yourself or you, god is placing you somewhere you didn't even know you was going to be, didn't know the door was going to open.
Speaker 2:I didn't even know it was a door.
Speaker 3:Didn't even know it was a door. It was like the door that was on Beetlejuice, when they drew the door on the wall.
Speaker 3:You didn't even know that the door was going to happen and I draw that knob on that door and watch me open it. You didn't even know that it was inside of you. But you know, all I can do you grow, it's to grow you. All I can do is not be Lot's wife. Okay, don't look back. Don't look back, because they're going to try to distract you. Those same people are going to try to do whatever they can to get your attention. They will shout it from the rooftop, they will go on the biggest platform and run a smear campaign. And you know what I've learned to do in those instances Definitely not what I would have did a year ago, which is retaliate.
Speaker 3:I've learned to think in my mind I do not care. I was going to say, jacqueline, what do I say, jacqueline? What do I say all the time, I do not care about what somebody else thinks about you. It's not your business, you is not your business. That's their own insecurities that they're trying to project on you. I could care less about what somebody have going on and thoughts that they like, especially about me, because one thing for certain and two things for sure the first thing that's for certain is if they talking about you. That's because if they talking about themselves. Nobody care. Nobody care enough to listen. The second thing is whatever they thinking is not going to elevate me to my next level their thoughts about me and that goes for anybody who listen you have to think about the source, think about the audience, who they are, who they are that's talking and the audience that's listening. If you're looking at them and they got that much time and energy to be placing on what you got going on in your life and how they planning on, how they going to take you down, baby, that's where they energy going While they doing that. That's what I'm doing Moving up on the ladder. What else you need from me, god? I'm just constantly moving. Every time they looking at me, I'm completing Moving up on the ladder. What else you need from me, god?
Speaker 3:I'm just constantly moving. Every time they looking at me, I'm completing another goal, I'm getting something else accomplished. I'm doing something to elevate me, and not just me, because some people be so focused on self they don't care their kids are reaching milestones. They're not even there for. They are too busy, focused on self and sabotaging somebody else. And that's not me. If I'm moving, so is my family, so is my husband, so are my kids, so are my support system that's around me. I'm going to do what I can in this life because we don't know if we're going to be here 10 minutes from now and guess what, whenever, my last 10 minutes is up here on this earth liquidity.
Speaker 3:When I get to them, gates, and god say, what did you do with what I gave you, I'm gonna say I left no crumbs. My oil is dry, my well is dry. God, I did every. Every time you plant something in my spirit, even the stuff that you didn't. I youtube university and figured it out. It ain't nothing that you gave me that I did not use.
Speaker 3:I didn't waste time. I didn't waste time. I didn't not put my kids in position where they're going to make it. I did not miss any milestones in their life because I'm so focused on what I got going on with me. It's one thing to say okay and I'm using this term, but it's been won out to the ground. I did say yes to myself, right? But in saying yes to me, do not mean shutting my kids out, does not mean shutting my husband out, does not mean shutting my family out to the point where every single thing in my life has to be only devoted to me. That's selfishness. Now, what we can do is say yes to ourselves so we can remain healthy, you know, keep our mental state in order. Absolutely Exactly right.
Speaker 3:You got to say yes to you sometimes, so that you can be equipped to take care of them. Because if you're not, but don't neglect them Exactly. It's a fine line between that. Okay, well, girl, you're just going to take over my show. Oh, I'm sorry, girl, you got me talking about some caring baby. You're going to take over my show.
Speaker 2:But no, that's good, that's good, that's good very passionate about.
Speaker 3:Yes, you are and I. I love that and they and it shows um, what is some. One of my, one of my friends from high school I'm in this high school group sent um, posted this today when you operate in your gift, you don't have to be at the head of the table, for whenever, wherever you sit or stand, the table and the room will shift. I love that. I love that because it just says it doesn't matter as long as you're operating in your gift. Wherever you are, wherever you sit, that's the head of the table. Wherever you stand, that's the front of the line. Whatever door you go out, that's the main entrance. Main entrance. And you know I've talked about this before.
Speaker 3:When I first started Pay-Per-View Publishing, I tried to. You know, there are so many publishers. It's just like there's a burger joint on every corner. You got Burger King, mcdonald's, wendy's, you know Cookout, you got all these burger joints right Sonic's all of them selling burgers, and so there is just like publishing. There are publishers all over the place and everybody has their own way of doing things, and so do I, and I wanted to.
Speaker 3:I talked to this lady. I met this lady. She was a publisher and I was like, oh, you know, I wanted to talk to her and she shut me down. She was like, oh, you know, she was doing something. I said, oh, I'd like to be a part of that. Was before, that was doing collaboration. It's like I want to be a part of that and I said wow. I said, well, you know, how do you? Just kind of ask the question well, how do you do this or how do you do that? And basically kind of picking her brain, not trying to get any proprietary information, but basic information, because I had already researched, like, well, how do you do it? And she, she point blank and said listen, I can't, you know, you can't be a part of my platform, you can't be a guest on my platform, you can't. You went out again laquita, am I here? I here, I'm sorry, we're, we're, we're competitors. And I was like what? And so she was like, oh, I can't, I can't help you. And I said, how, at that time, you know, it kind of hurt a little bit. And I was like, wow, and so I'm like I.
Speaker 3:And then there were, there were, you know, people were having, um, you know, podcast shows and this. And I would say, hey, people were having podcast shows and this, and I would say, hey, I'd like to be on your show, I'd like to be. And it's like I got the white flag saying here I am, use me, here I am, I'd like to be a part. And after getting told no or being overlooked for whatever reasons, I said you know what, never again. So, jacqueline, the one thing that you know about me is that I don't care to be on everybody's everything. That does not move me, and so, instead of me getting upset about somebody else's platform, I created my own table, I created my own stuff, and then now I invite people to mine and I'm okay with that. And the funny thing is some of those same people I've never had to invite them, but they follow me and say, hey, oh, I see what you're doing, I see. And so now they're like, oh, wow, because those are the same people that said, oh, you know what? You're not going to, you're not going to, you're not going to have business, you're going to have to, you're not going to get clients, you're going to have to do this, you're going to have to do that, you're going to have to do that.
Speaker 3:And I said to one lady. I said, okay, so here we are. I saw this lady in person, met this lady in person about three months ago at an event and she said, and I was like, oh wow, I remember having, we're supposed to have meetings with this lady and she didn't show up. She scheduled a meeting, didn't show up. And I told her, I said you know what, my time is just as valuable as your time. But because she didn't see me as somebody, she just saw me as okay, she's just a little publisher. She just knew. And here we are, 100 plus clients later.
Speaker 3:And now it it's like you know, oh, can you? You know, I like to talk to you. Well, I'm not interested, because if that's how you do the little guy, then I don't trust that you're going to treat me any better. But it's not real. So I love that you are creating your own way. You're, you know, hey, you're kicking doors in. You're going in like the SWAT and kicking in the door. You don't have to knock. You know SWAT, the SWAT team, they knock, knock, knock and then they kick the door in. They don't even wait for you to answer. So you're going in like SWAT and I like that. Let's. Let's shift gears a little bit and let's talk about. Let's talk about the women, the women of the waiting room.
Speaker 3:So this is your, this is your first solo anthology project, and what was what was the what? What was the motivation behind the? Where did the title come from? The women of the waiting room surgery for your soul. Where did that title come from? What was the significance of that title?
Speaker 3:Well, you know, um, the waiting room has always been in my heart. It's been in my spirit, it's been something that God laid in my spirit years ago, and if anybody who follows me on social media knows that, I've been speaking about waiting in this waiting season in your waiting room, and I've defined what that means to me. I even came out with waiting room affirmations. I even came out with waiting room affirmations. The podcast Listen Linda had a segment called the Waiting Room, where I would have women of color specifically, who would come on with their books, businesses or brands and I would dive deep into who they are and help them to release, how God has delivered them from their waiting room. Or, if they were in their waiting season, what does that feel like? How do you want God to intervene and, kind of deliver you from that? Um. So this has always been something that's been talked about and it's been in my spirit for a while now.
Speaker 3:So when the anthology when God placed the anthology on my heart to do, I rejected it at first because I had been in one and although the message was a very great message, it was not a great experience for me and I said I would never do another anthology again. Well, guess what? God downloaded it in me and it was on my nerves. I was tap dancing like Gregory Hines on my nerves until I said, okay, well, let me talk to Laquita about it. So when I talked to you about it, it was late. We was on the phone and we was thinking of because I said I said the first thing I don't want to do is micromanage anybody that's in this anthology. I want it to be smooth sailing. I don't want. I want to create something that actually is therapy to help me to get over the trauma that I experienced before, but I also want it to be a blessing to people as well.
Speaker 3:God put this in my spirit to do to show people that he is real and that he actually is who he says he is and he will do what he says he will do. That bible is absolutely 100 what it is, um and it. Whatever you manifest, and you, you do it in jesus name and keep your faith in god and he will provide for you, and I am a sole representation of that. And so when I brought the idea to you, you were 100% on board with me about it. I thought you was going to shit it down, child, because it wasn't just too long that we you know. And so you were 100% on board.
Speaker 3:We sat and we talked about it and I said, well, I want it to be kind of like a reader's digest. So I was like just like kicking soup for the soul. And then we sat and we thought about it and we strategized and then we came up with surgery for the soul, because we want it to be something that's considered a healing place. So if you think about a waiting room, the first thing you think about is the doctor's office, the waiting room, the hospital, the emergency room. So when you think about those type of things, you also think about surgery. So what are you getting worked on? You're getting your spirit worked on. You're getting your inside, your mind, worked on, your body worked on your soul, worked on by God, and so that's how we came up with this title of the Waiting Room.
Speaker 3:Well, you know what? I have had my own season of waiting and I'm still there, and oftentimes, you know, the waiting is one thing, it's what you do while you're waiting. And I think this book is so powerful. I to read everybody's raw thoughts on their subject and I have just been like wow, just blown away. And as I'm reading them, it's encouraging me because we all have our own walks. No matter how strong we try to be, we still have to have that covering, we still have to have a shoulder to cry on, we still have to have somebody to kind of stroke our back and stroke our face and say it's okay, it's going to be all right. And so, with the stories for the surgery for your soul, having read all of our entries, it's like wow, wow, wow. I absolutely love them. And I know that it's a game changer, because there are so many people that get discouraged while waiting and give up in the process of waiting and they never make it on the other side of through of waiting, and they never make it on the other side of through. And it doesn't mean that once you go through this period of waiting that there's not going to be another period of waiting. There will always be a period of waiting, but you have to know how to wait. If you wait beaten and torn and broken, then when you get to the next one you're not going to even know the other one is finished. You're not going to even know that you have a break in between the waiting so that you can recoup and recover. So I absolutely love the submissions that I've read.
Speaker 3:Now tell us about the devotional. Honey, that's a whole nother ballgame. The devotional is so phenomenal. Um, I thought the waiting room, uh, the anthology, had my jaw dropped. Um, but the devotional is made up of 33 women. Um, seven of them are the original. I call us the Fab Seven. The Fab Seven of the anthology have come up with a devotional and that came about.
Speaker 3:Actually, dr Velma, who's one of the Fab Seven of the anthology, she called me and she said you should do a devotional and I said no, I ain't. I'm not doing it. I'm not dealing with all them, different women and all spirits. I'm not gonna do it because, although I love people, I love interacting with people on a condition where you know I'm just I'm gonna be honest with you, I'm not that great in a group with a bunch of different people. Um, I can take you one-on-one, maybe five or six at a time, but 33 and I'm at the head. I've done it before in my job and I'm good at what I do, but it's draining for me and me having lupus and you know, dealing with you know thyroid cancer and these things. You know it starts to to wear and tear on me in a physical and it starts to. You can start to see it and so I have to be careful, and I had, and through this process I did have to learn boundaries and I did have to learn that my phone can go off at a certain time.
Speaker 3:But with this devotional, these women have opened up and been so transparent with their testimonies. It is mind-blowing. It's one of the best decisions I've ever made. I don't take for granted. I don't regret any part of this process, of the devotional. I have read every submission and I have been blown away with.
Speaker 3:The ladies in this group ranging from 30 to 80, have been truly inspirational to me as the vessel of this project, to read some of the stories and see what God has done for them has been just a blessing, and I know it's being a blessing to me right now, on days where I am not always okay, on days that I have second-guessed myself as a leader because I'm the youngest out of everybody. In the devotional and the anthology I'm the youngest and I second-guess myself sometimes where I'm like I'm only 35. Um, all of these women are older than me. Who am I to lead them? And god tells me well, jesus was 33 and he led a nation and he still lead nations, even after he has transcended to heaven. His word is still truth and his truth is still light. And if he is my son and you are my daughter, why can't you do the same? So ageism is real and reverse ageism is real, and so I don't look at my age anymore.
Speaker 3:As of today, I don't look at the experience that somebody else may have over me or different things like that, because when people older than me are saying you know what? I trust you with my story, I trust you to lead me, that means the world to me. And those are saying who are you? You're too young, you can't lead me. But then, in their same breath, they're saying that they're reading the word of God and they're following Jesus. Take to account how old he was. That's all I'm going to say. And of course, jesus is who he is. But Jesus is God's son, just like I'm his daughter. And I'm not saying that I'm Jesus. But you know he said walk like me, talk like me. You know, if God did it for me, he could do it for you.
Speaker 3:So I have every right to feel that I'm just as important and I'm not going to let nobody make me feel no less. I feel that I have every right God gave it to me to help these women get their stories out there and I feel like that's what I'm led to do. That's God. Don't call to qualify, he qualifies to call. So some people as they may feel like I'm not worthy enough to lead a group of women, but those same group of women are trusting me. So that means a lot to me and I appreciate all the women in the devotional and the anthology for trusting me. I've only been a writer for a published writer for a little over a year, been a writer for a published writer for a little over a year, and these women have been doing it for decades and they still trust me to help guide them in in this journey and I'm not gonna, I'm not gonna quit. Wow, you know what I? You said a mouthful. I appreciate that, that you know.
Speaker 3:I with a devotional, some of the stories because you need amazing. God is so amazing that he designed us in a perfect way. He designed us fearfully and wonderfully made, and to the point where I can't look at you and tell what you've been through, what you're going through, what you're about to go through, and neither can you look at me and tell either. Now we can look at some people when they are abusing their bodies with illegal substances. You can kind of look at some of them. Some of them you can't, but you know. When they're out there, out there, you can tell. But when there is, when there are some of these sicknesses, what you know you and I both have lupus and I suffer from some conductive tissue diseases you cannot tell. You certainly can't tell by looking at our content and you definitely can't tell by looking at the individual what they go through.
Speaker 3:When I read through the devotionals and I had to stop with some of them, jacqueline, you probably had to do the same, because we don't know most of the people in this devotional. You don't know them personally. These are people who saw the advertisement and they wanted to be a part of it and they reached out and they came from social media or referrals. So these are not people. Some of them we know personally, but not all of them. But you can't look at them and look at what they've been through when you read their stories.
Speaker 3:I read some of the stories and I had to stop and I just had to look. You know, I had to go to some profiles, honestly, and I was like wait, what a minute. This, oh, I could not imagine. There are some stories, jacqueline, where some of the people have gone through some of the same things that we've gone through and then, in the midst of it, dealing with pregnancies and dealing with abuse while being pregnant, while going through debilitating conditions, it blew my mind. So we never know what the other person is going through.
Speaker 3:But this devotional, you know, my whole thing is there's always somebody waiting on the other end of your story so they can get healing from their stories. There is no doubt in my mind, jacqueline, that people are going to get healing from these two devotionals. They are going to touch lives. You know, there's that song if I can help somebody as I travel along, then my living shall not be in vain. Well, I believe that this book, these two anthologies, is gonna do that plus song, that plus a little, and I'm just super excited about it.
Speaker 3:And I'm blessed and honored to be a part, not only as a contributor but also as a publisher, on both of the projects. And when I tell you it's healing for the soul, it really has blessed my soul, because there were some days, as I was going through them, when I wasn't feeling that great, you know, in my emotions, and when I read that all I could do was say thank, you know, in my in my emotions, and when I read that all I could do was say thank you, lord, because it was a blessing. And the blessing was that these people are writing from where they were. You know, this is what I used to go through, this is what I've gone through and it is such a blessing. So kudos to you and I am super excited for this journey.
Speaker 3:So, what's next for Jacqueline as we start to wrap up, girl, what is next? What's on the horizon for Jacqueline? Yeah, what's next for me? Oh God got so much stuff going on. Should I give you the list, child? Okay, so give it to me, okay. So we got the women of the waiting room journal. We have the flashcards that are coming out, but we also have the women of the waiting room channel, which will be televised on the women win network tv network, on roku and amazon fire tv. That's in over 100 million homes worldwide. We have, and that's debuting at the end of June, maybe early July.
Speaker 3:I have a battle of the hosts. So if you would like to become a TV host, I am doing a battle. I'm only picking five so you can send your submissions to me, inbox me, jacqueline Cox, on Facebook, and I will give you more information about how you can become a host. If you want to be an advertiser, if you want to be a sponsor meaning if you want your book, business or brand advertised on the Women of the Waiting Room channel, see me to become a sponsor. Or just have your book trailer or your business reel or something played as a commercial on the channel. That is available as well.
Speaker 3:What else do I have coming up the Chain Breaking Experience Summit. I'm doing that on the 17th and the 18th of May. My children are coming here on Sunday, on the 12th, and they're doing a Mother's Day special. Jaden and Marvis will be the host on Listen Linda Mother's Day Soiree and they will be playing music for you guys, they will be taking song requests, they will be reciting poetry for you guys and they will just be giving you guys a good time in honor of mother's day. We have made that actually a tradition because they did the same thing last year.
Speaker 3:Um, what else do I have coming up? I have coming up in June. I will be doing. I will be in the Juneteenth Poetry Slam for Black Org and Heavy Talk Media. They will be doing a three-day virtual summit and I have been chosen to be a poetry slam. What is it? Not a contestant but, um, a poetry slam speaker. So I will be doing for you guys. Absolutely. Thank you so much. I'm I'm so super excited about that. Um, I'm also attending an author summit the first week of june.
Speaker 3:Um, and we have the book launch. The book launch will take place the first week of June and it will be the debut of the women Of the waiting room channel. So it will be live On Roku TV and Amazon Fire TV and it will be streaming On all platforms as well. But if you've got Roku TV, you'll be able to go on there and hit it and it will come on the TV for you and you will be tuned in with me and all six women of the waiting room. We will be on there doing the book launch.
Speaker 3:So I got a lot going. There's so much more than that, but I think I'm gonna end it there because there may be a lot for people to take in right now. But my trust me when I say my clip is not empty. But god, I thank god. He's the head of my life. I give him all the glory. I have so so much more than that coming up. My husband has some things coming up, some anthologies with pay pro be um coming up, and so my family has a lot going on. We busy, we booked, and busy, booked and busy. Well, girl, listen, that'll make me tired. I couldn't get it all down.
Speaker 3:I appreciate that is a lot, but you know what to god be the glory when we, when we walk in our gifts, god continues to bless us, and I'm a firm believer as long as we are doing it for his glory and not our own glory. It's just going to continue and continue to prosper. It's going to always prosper. Um, I, I love that there are lessons and there are blessings. If you can't, my whole thing is always well, what's the? You know, in everything we do there's a lesson and there's a blessing. So what's the lesson in this? What's the blessing in this? So we always have to be be cognizant on why we're doing what we're doing, and you know when I'm I'm super excited for all these projects and I'm super excited for the family. Yes, we have two things coming up with Mr Cox the War Within, as well as Our Journey from Boys to Men. I am super excited. His stories are amazing, as always. They always have heart, always have heart. So, miss Jacqueline, I want to say thank you so much for allowing me to take over your show as a guest host today. It has been a plump, pleasing pleasure, better than a triple deck of peanut butter and jelly sandwich.
Speaker 3:And listen, if you guys are thinking about writing your story, if you have written it, if you got it sitting somewhere and you've never published it, or you have a story but you don't know how to get started, let me encourage you to write your story. Tell your story, publish your story, because 100% of everybody living in debt has a story and there's somebody out there waiting for your story because they don't know that they can get to the other side of through just like you have. So if there's anything I can help you with, please feel free to reach out to me at payprovipublishingcom that's P-A-P-R-O-V-I publishingcom, and listen. If all else fails, you can Google me. I'm on all things social media Facebook, instagram, x, twitter. I'm even on what's the one they're trying to block now TikTok and LinkedIn. So if there, if and if all else fails, you can ask. You can, uh, also hit, listen linda up. She know how to find me and I want to leave you guys with this.
Speaker 3:Um, a lot of times you know people will say oh, you know, they just she doing it just to put herself on a pedestal. I want to be very clear. I ask God for this. I ask God to put me if I want to, anytime I do anything, I do it to the best of my ability. There's no reason to start something and stay small.
Speaker 3:The point of this anthology, the point of this devotional, the point of this movement, is to reach as many people as possible. When I started out and you let them know, laquita, because you was there, you was in the group I said I want to reach people globally. I want this thing to reach people globally and I want to be on a global platform when I do it. And since then my platform is already. Melissa Leonard has already been on 14 and is listening now 14 countries and 40 platforms, countries and 40 platforms. But god has taken that and given me the blessing of starting my own tv channel so this message can reach even more people globally. So this is not by doing this is all god, and god put me in this position so I can reach people, so we can reach people, so we can reach people. So you me, your story, my story, everybody in the anthology story, everybody in the devotional story can reach millions of people.
Speaker 3:Don't write a book if you don't want the world to be reached. Don't say that you want to touch lives but you only want to touch those in your community. Don't think small. Maybe god is not doing something that you want him to do, because he it is not. It's not big enough. You're not reaching big enough for him. You're not. God is royal. Everything that he does? He does royally okay, and so some your dream may be too small. That's probably the reason why that door is not opening for you, because you're not thinking big enough. You got to think up like god, walk in the room like god sent you, and that's what I am doing.
Speaker 3:So when people say, oh, she's just trying to be popular, um, I've been popular before. Social media, baby, I was, I was popping. Okay, I've been popular. That's not nothing new. But what I'm doing now is I'm trying to take who I am, because I will never change who I am. But what I'm doing, I'm taking who I am and I am trying to go out, not physically, because obviously right now I cannot do that, but virtually go out into the world and bring people to God, and I'm going to do that by any means necessary.
Speaker 3:So when I say global impact, that's exactly what the women in the waiting room is about. It's about global impact. It's not about money or fame or being able to go here and go there and say, oh, we went here and we did that. Well, when you did that, how many people did you touch? How many lives did you change? How many people bought that book or how many books did you donate? What did you do? Yourself on a hamster wheel, going nowhere, fast, spending money? No, roi. No return on investment? No, uh, no. No. Contributions to the community no, nothing except I went, I spoke, I did this, I did that and no lives were saved, no people were touched. All you did was just go out, eat, have a good time and that was it. And you wasted all that money and all that time, but nobody. You didn't change your life.
Speaker 3:You can do more by reaching people with your voice, with your words, with your impact, with your tenacity, with your faith in God, and them seeing with their eyes what God is doing for you, instead of screaming at them all day, talking about you, motivating them, actually encourage them. Speak to them where they can hear you, where they can see you, where they can read about you. Read what you have went through, be who you claim you are and if you can't be that, fake it until you make it. And, like Laquita said, that's my story and I'm sticking to it all. Right now, it's been a pleasing pleasure, better than a triple dick of peanut butter and jelly sandwich. That's my story and I'm sticking to it. You guys have a wonderful night, laquita. You already told them where they can reach you. You guys, y'all know where to find me. Y'all know where I'm at. Y'all know where I'm at.
Speaker 3:I got a new blog that's up right now that speaks on modern day women empowerment groups versus men. Girls. You can find that on Listen. Linda Speaks on Patheos. You can check out my new website, listenlindapresents1.com where you can find all things Listen Linda, all things Young Safe Leaders. Well, not all things PayProV, but all the books that are on there are PayProV. Published. Amen, our paper will be published, amen, um, and if you, if you don't want to follow me, you can follow my children. Young safe leaders dot my shopifycom. Go on facebook. They are young safe leaders, all one word. They will be happy to accept your friend request. They need some new friends y'all, because they they coming after all the minds. So if you got some kids ages 13, I mean 7 to 13, send them on over to my kids page because they're taking all my friends y'all and y'all. Have a good night on that note, and God bless you all. Good night everybody.
Speaker 2:I love you that I prayed for. Not wishing with no man. That wasn't made for me. See, this love we have Gotta be tailored. Ain't wishing with no man. That ain't no fit for me. Do you pray, cause I pray? You want kids. I want eight. Are you faithful? Oh wait, tell me, can you send a ring? You a king, I'm a queen. We require certain things, and that's what I pray for. So that's what I wait for. Dear god, I'm gonna be ready. Dear god, you do this for me. I won't forget it. I know he will. Dear God, that's what I pray for, so that's what I wait for, and I vow to be everything you need. Share my life with you, on the right, with you, and I promise to support all your dreams, but I gotta know that you were made for me. Do you pray, cause I pray? You want kids I won't name. Are you faithful? Always tell me. Can you stand and reign you? Okay, I'm a queen. Me requires certain things, and that's what I pray for. So that's what I wait for.
Speaker 1:That's what I pray for. That's what I wait for. Dear God, I'm your sinner. That's what I pray for. That's what I wait for, dear God.
Speaker 2:I're sending me. I won't regret it. Dear God, you do this for me. I won't forget it. My heart has been through so much and I just want to feel your love for once. Feel your love for once and, dear God, I hope he's happy Already here with you. I know he is. I know he will. Dear God, dear God, that's what I pray for. So that's what I wait for.